Extremism: Mammoth trial against suspected “Reich citizens” begins

It’s about terrorism, high treason and legally unique proceedings: nine suspected “Reich citizens” from the group around Henry XIII. Starting today, Prince Reuss will have to answer before the Stuttgart Higher Regional Court. They are accused of membership in a terrorist organization and of so-called “preparation of a treasonous enterprise.”

One of the defendants is also on trial for attempted murder – this is the man who is said to have shot several times with a rifle at police officers from a special operations squad during a search of his apartment in Reutlingen in March 2023, injuring officers in the process. It is the first of three mammoth trials against the group around Henry XIII. Prinz Reuß, who became known after a large-scale anti-terror raid in several federal states and abroad shortly after St. Nicholas Day 2022.

Violent overthrow of the federal government planned

The total of 27 suspects are said to have planned a violent overthrow of the federal government – according to the prosecution, they knowingly risked deaths in the process. Reuss should have acted as the head of a new form of government. The former AfD member of the Bundestag and former Berlin judge Birgit Malsack-Winkemann should have been responsible for the justice department. Ex-soldiers are also among the accused.

In Stuttgart it is said to be about the so-called military arm of the group, which should have enforced the takeover of power by force of arms. According to the indictment, work has already begun to set up a Germany-wide system of more than 280 military-organized homeland security companies. The “Homeland Security Company No. 221” is said to have been responsible for the Freudenstadt and Tübingen areas.

The defendants in Stuttgart, all between 42 and 60 years old according to the Higher Regional Court, are said to have joined the association between the beginning of 2022 and late summer 2022 and worked in various functions for this “military arm”. They are all currently in custody.

One of the largest state security cases in history

The President of the Higher Regional Court, Andreas Singer, spoke in advance of one of the largest state security proceedings in the history of the Federal Republic: Five judges, two additional judges and 22 defense lawyers would take part in the Stuttgart trial alone. The investigation files therefore contain 700 Leitz folders. The Higher Regional Court has set dates until January 2025 for the state security proceedings in the strictly secured trial building in Stammheim.

The suspected ringleaders will be charged in Frankfurt from May 21st, and the other suspected members will be in court in Munich from June 18th. Splitting the case into several proceedings – simply necessary due to the large number of defendants – poses major challenges for those involved in the process.