Accusations made against seventeen anti-fascists individuals, involving seven separate charges.
In a striking turn of events, the antifascist activist Lina E., along with her fellow defendants, faced a severe trial marked by the prosecution's aggression and the court's harshness. Dubbed as "Antifa East" in the trial, Lina and her companions were accused of forming a left-wing extremist criminal organization, not just for inflicting bodily harm on neo-Nazis, but for broader offenses. The Higher Regional Court (OLG) in Dresden delivered a hefty sentence in May 2023, sentencing Lina to five years and three months in prison. She had previously served two and a half years in pre-trial detention.
Now, the Federal Prosecutor's Office is targeting seven more individuals from Lina E.'s supposed network. According to reports by MDR, these individuals share similar charges, including forming a left-wing extremist criminal association and causing grievous bodily harm. As of Thursday evening, four of the accused are already in pre-trial detention, including Johan G., Lina's fiancé, who was arrested in Thuringia in November 2024.
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The term "Antifa Ost," also known as the "Hammer Gang" in the Dresden trial due to the involvement of hammers in some crimes, has been criticized by a Berlin solidarity initiative. They view this term as a propagandist tool of the right-wing press, created to create an image of a chaotic and violent group with no political motivation. Antifascism, however, remains unrecognized as a legitimate standpoint.
Two of the newly accused are believed to have been involved in an attack on neo-Nazi Leon R. in Eisenach in December 2019, as well as the attacks on participants of the neo-Nazi "Day of Honor" in Budapest in February 2023.
In a bid to maintain transparency and fairness, the lawyers representing the accused argued that the state protection department of the Saxony State Criminal Police Office had not investigated neutrally, potentially breaching the presumption of innocence. They also decried unauthorized disclosure of information, with journalists reportedly informed about specific investigation results prior to defense attorneys.
Several support groups have demanded the release of the accused and the discontinuation of all proceedings against all anti-fascists. They argue that the investigative process is politically motivated, reflecting a societal shift to the right, aimed at criminalizing anti-fascist resistance. Criticisms include excessive house searches, prolonged pre-trial detention, and reliance on questionable witnesses to construct a so-called criminal organization.
- The Federal Prosecutor's Office is targeting seven more individuals, accused of forming a left-wing extremist criminal association and causing grievous bodily harm, similar to Lina E.'s supposed network.
- Social-media platforms have been abuzz with discussions about the "Antifa Ost" case, with many expressing concerns about the fairness of the trials and the potential politicization of the investigative process.
- Under the umbrella of general-news outlets and crime-and-justice sections, politics and entertainmentintertwine as the public anxiously awaits the outcome of the trials, with some even turning to political activism in support of the accused, viewing it as a fight for free speech and anti-fascism in the face of a perceived shift towards the right.
