Trial of Reichsbürger Members Accused of Plotting a coup in Germany Begins in Frankfurt

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The trial of nine individuals accused of plotting to violently overthrow the German state commenced in Frankfurt under heavy security. The defendants, including a self-styled aristocrat, his Russian girlfriend, retired military officers, and a former judge, are alleged members of the anti-constitutional Reichsbürger movement. This group denies the legitimacy of the modern German state and seeks to revert to pre-1918 borders.

 

Among the defendants is Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss, who is purportedly the group's ringleader. Reuss, a 72-year-old estate agent, was intended to become the new chancellor of Germany had the coup succeeded. The group, known as the Patriotic Union, faces charges of high treason for allegedly planning to storm the Reichstag, take MPs hostage, and broadcast a shackled Chancellor Olaf Scholz to gain public support.

 

The defendants were arrested in December 2022 following extensive surveillance and coordinated raids by heavily armed forces. Despite the serious charges, all defendants have denied any wrongdoing. The trial began slowly as several defense lawyers raised objections, questioning the validity of the proceedings and the difficulty of managing multiple trials in separate locations. Roman von Alvensleben, representing Reuss, criticized the division of cases across Frankfurt, Stuttgart, and Munich, arguing it complicates the ability to follow and cross-reference evidence.

 

This trial is one of three major proceedings involving 26 defendants in total. The Stuttgart court is handling the alleged military wing of the Patriotic Union, while Frankfurt’s trial focuses on the supposed ringleaders. A Munich trial set for June will address the so-called "esoteric wing" of the organization. The trials are expected to extend over a year due to the complexity and number of witnesses involved. The Reichsbürger movement, to which the defendants belong, has grown significantly and is estimated to have around 23,000 adherents. This group denies the legitimacy of the current German state, advocating for a return to the borders and governance structures of the pre-1918 German Reich.

 

Given the high-profile nature of the case and the severe charges, the trial is taking place in a specially constructed metal warehouse with stringent security measures, including bulletproof glass separating the public and press galleries from the main courtroom. The trial of these alleged conspirators is a significant event in Germany's ongoing battle against far-right extremism and anti-government movements. It underscores the challenges democracies face in addressing internal threats and the importance of maintaining vigilance against those who seek to undermine state legitimacy and democratic principles.

 

Credit: The Guardian 2024-05-22

 

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[nobodysfriend]

They really planned to overthrow the German government and make Germany become kind of a " kingdom ' ...

They should all go directly to a mental hospital . ( after their trial ) .

[thaibeachlovers]

26 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

They really planned to overthrow the German government and make Germany become kind of a " kingdom ' ...

They should all go directly to a mental hospital . ( after their trial ) .

In someone's dreams they did. Perhaps they sat around chatting about how good it used to be under a Kaiser, but thinking they could actually overthrow the government and the people would welcome the return of the Kaiser is barking, IMO.

 

I reckon the German government is using it as a distraction from the problems they have at the moment.

[rudi49jr]

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

In someone's dreams they did. Perhaps they sat around chatting about how good it used to be under a Kaiser, but thinking they could actually overthrow the government and the people would welcome the return of the Kaiser is barking, IMO.

 

I reckon the German government is using it as a distraction from the problems they have at the moment.

The German government doesn’t have anything to do with pressing charges against these fascists, it’s the German judiciary. Separation of powers, remember?

I agree with you that they must be barking mad, but these morons actually and really tried to stage a coup. That is not made up and not a dream, but grim reality. That it apparently doesn’t fit your narrative is another matter altogether. Many western intelligence agencies have come to the same conclusion: that the greatest threat to our democracy right now are extreme right wing groups. Or do you not agree with that either?
 

[Chomper Higgot]

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

In someone's dreams they did. Perhaps they sat around chatting about how good it used to be under a Kaiser, but thinking they could actually overthrow the government and the people would welcome the return of the Kaiser is barking, IMO.

 

I reckon the German government is using it as a distraction from the problems they have at the moment.

What like the German Government convinced these individuals to commit crimes so the Government would have a distraction?

[KhunBENQ]

3 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I reckon the German government is using it as a distraction from the problems they have at the moment.

Absolutely.

They are treated at the same high security court and kept in isolation like the radical RAF (red army fraction) far-left militant group who killed 34 people, multiple leading figures from banks, industrialists, state prosecutor etc. in the 1970s.

[john donson]

western governments have been selling the birth rights  of locals for decades and throw them away to illegal and people of incompatible religion with a western society

[Caldera]

10 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

They are treated at the same high security court and kept in isolation like the radical RAF (red army fraction) far-left militant group who killed 34 people, multiple leading figures from banks, industrialists, state prosecutor etc. in the 1970s.

 

Nothing wrong with that. Just because many of them look like deluded old goats doesn't mean that their plans for a violent takeover shouldn't be punished severely. They, too, are domestic terrorists. 

[Danderman123]

Some people here have never run into a right wing nut job they didn't love.

[thaibeachlovers]

6 hours ago, Caldera said:

 

Nothing wrong with that. Just because many of them look like deluded old goats doesn't mean that their plans for a violent takeover shouldn't be punished severely. They, too, are domestic terrorists. 

Domestic terrorists that haven't actually killed anyone? LOL.

 

Deluded old numpties perhaps, but the idea that they could actually succeed is barking, IMO.

 

BTW, a successful coup requires a few more people than can fit in a van.

[Caldera]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Domestic terrorists that haven't actually killed anyone? LOL.

 

Deluded old numpties perhaps, but the idea that they could actually succeed is barking, IMO.

 

BTW, a successful coup requires a few more people than can fit in a van.

 

To be classified as a terrorist, you don't need to have killed anyone.

 

As for their abysmally low chance of success, I agree with you. But again, that doesn't mean that they shouldn't be tried as terrorists and punished severely. 

[Purdey]

Send like a national security issue. Thank goodness they were caught before violence occurred.

[rudi49jr]

6 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Domestic terrorists that haven't actually killed anyone? LOL.

 

Deluded old numpties perhaps, but the idea that they could actually succeed is barking, IMO.

 

BTW, a successful coup requires a few more people than can fit in a van.

That’s twice in this thread that you’re playing this down as just a couple of old geezers who are completely harmless. They didn’t even kill anyone, right?

Somehow I suspect you’d be singing quite a different tune had this not been done by this group of ‘Reichsbürger’, but by some extreme left wing group.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 5/23/2024 at 1:44 PM, Caldera said:

 

To be classified as a terrorist, you don't need to have killed anyone.

 

As for their abysmally low chance of success, I agree with you. But again, that doesn't mean that they shouldn't be tried as terrorists and punished severely. 

If they were serious they have to be insane, and if they were just talking about it they are innocent, IMO.

[rudi49jr]

25 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

If they were serious they have to be insane, and if they were just talking about it they are innocent, IMO.

Strike three! You’re out.