Southwestern extremists reportedly possess 661 firearms, according to the Ministry's statement - Southwestern Region has 661 Firearms in the Possession of Radical Factions
In Baden-Württemberg, the Ministry of the Interior is taking significant steps to prevent extremists from obtaining weapons and to disarm them consistently. The ministry's efforts are in response to the discovery of 661 firearms in the possession of extremists within the state.
Among the 214 extremists who hold weapons permits, the majority are associated with right-wing extremism (122), followed by "Reich citizens" and "self-administrators" (48), Islamic extremism (12), constitutional protection-relevant delegitimization of the state (11), left-wing extremism (8), and other phenomenon areas (13).
It's important to note that the weapons ownership card only permits the acquisition and possession of firearms, but not their carrying in public. Among those 214 extremists, around half had a small firearms permit, which allows the carrying of blank-firing, irritant, and signal weapons.
Since the implementation of these measures in 2017, 351 permits have been withdrawn in Baden-Württemberg, affecting 619 firearms. The city of Stuttgart is one of the locations where these extremists and their firearms are present.
The ministry's actions are not limited to revoking already issued permits, but also include preventing new permits from being issued to extremists. The ministry's statement was made in response to the presence of these firearms, a fact that was previously announced by the Ministry of the Interior and reported by news organizations WDR and NDR.
Additionally, the ministry's efforts are supported by agencies like the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV). The BfV's classification of political parties, such as the Alternative for Germany (AfD), as a "confirmed right-wing extremist endeavor" enables closer monitoring and possible restrictions, including employment bans for AfD members in public service roles like police and soldiers, which could indirectly aid in preventing extremist access to firearms.
German authorities use classification by the BfV as a basis for monitoring extremist groups and potentially restricting their access to public resources or official employment where firearms access might be possible. However, specific disarmament actions or weapons seizures by the Ministry of the Interior in Baden-Württemberg are not detailed in the available data.
The ministry's actions are part of the broader legal and security framework aimed at preventing extremist violence and illegal arms possession in Germany. While no concrete number of firearms held by extremists in Baden-Württemberg is available, the ministry's commitment to reducing the number of firearms in the possession of extremists remains clear. Furthermore, a further 100 persons had a weapons ownership card.
- The Ministry of the Interior's employment policy in Baden-Württemberg has been wary of extremist individuals seeking public service roles, with the Alternative for Germany (AfD) under closer scrutiny due to the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution's classification of them as a "confirmed right-wing extremist endeavor." This policy, in part, aims to indirectly prevent extremist access to firearms.
- In the realm of policy and legislation, the German authorities have been implementing measures to restrict extremist groups' access to public resources or official employment where firearms access might be possible. The broader legal and security framework aimed at preventing extremist violence and illegal arms possession in Germany is evident in the Ministry of the Interior's actions, particularly in the case of Baden-Württemberg.
