After reports of a Russian disinformation campaign, AfD MP Petr Bystron has declared himself to the party leadership. It seems to have strengthened his back.
According to his own statements, the AfD politician Petr Bystron assured a message from the AfD federal executive committee that he had never accepted money in connection with reports about a Russian disinformation campaign.
When asked, the member of the Bundestag said that the board had agreed to his demand for the release of suspected Czech secret service recordings. This information was essentially confirmed by party circles. It was said that the federal executive board had backed Bystron. The MP continued to say that they had agreed to find out about further legal steps. “I didn’t expect anything else. We will not allow our election campaign to be dictated by manipulative accusations from foreign secret services.”
The government of Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala must now explain whether the publication was made under pressure from abroad and what role NATO and the German government played in this, he added. Bystron also announced that its lawyers would request access to the files in Munich today. The public prosecutor’s office there had set up a so-called preliminary investigation, justifying this with “current reporting”, but also emphasizing that this did not indicate initial suspicion. Preliminary investigations are not regulated by law and are often carried out routinely.
“No evidence or proof of culpable behavior”
The party leaders Tino Chrupalla and Alice Weidel announced a statement for the afternoon. Chrupalla had already publicly supported Bystron on Sunday. There is currently no evidence or proof of culpable behavior, he told the ARD capital studio. “I currently see no reason to advise him against any campaign appearances.” Bystron is in second place on the AfD’s list of candidates for the European elections on June 9th.
The Czech newspaper “Denik N” had reported that the MP was suspected of having been in contact with the pro-Russian Internet platform “Voice of Europe” (VoE), which the Prague cabinet had recently placed on the national sanctions list. He may also have accepted money. Bystron’s name was said to have been mentioned at a cabinet meeting, the newspaper reported, citing several ministers. An unnamed government member said, citing the domestic secret service BIS, with reference to Bystron: “You can provide audio evidence of the handover of money.”
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
