Skipping Town: Absent Defendants in Mosbach Regional Court's firearms Case
Absent Defendants Belonging to 'Reichsbürger' Movement Fail to Attend Trial Commencement - Trial Attendee From "Reichsbürger" Circle Vanishes
Here's the lowdown:
The courthouse drama unfolds at Mosbach Regional Court, tied to an intense police raid at a "Reichsbürger" compound in Boxberg, Baden-Württemberg. Initially, two women and three men - alleged members of the same scene - were due to face trial for illegally possessing weapons.
But here's the twist: not a single one showed up for the trial kickoff on Monday. Even their defense attorneys admitted they'd lost contact with their clients. The prosecutor's office in Karlsruhe accuses the defendants of holding onto nine firearms, including an automatic rifle, in the spring and summer of 2022. To add fuel to the fire, two of them are said to have grown 38 cannabis plants.
The hidden cache of weapons was discovered on a plot in Boxberg (Main-Tauber district) during a Special Forces (SEK) operation in April 2022, aimed at searching a "Reichsbürger" who owned a weapon without a permit. The 50-year-old man responded with gunfire, injuring two officers before being convicted for attempted murder in 2023.
The court will now decide on the next steps. The suspects, aged 24 to 52, were reportedly friendly with the 2023 convict and lived on the same property and sometimes in the same building. The charges include violations of the Weapons Act and the War Weapons Control Act.
New trial dates will be scheduled, and the court will also consider measures to guarantee the defendants' presence at thefollowing hearings. A conviction for violating the War Weapons Control Act could mean up to five years behind bars. The prosecutor's office confirms the defendants are currently at large.
A word about the "Reichsbürger" scene - they don't acknowledge the federal republic and its democratic institutions. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Verfassungsschutz) pegged the number of such "Reichsbürger" and self-administrators in Baden-Württemberg at around 4,000 in 2023, with around 25,000 nationwide.
It's essential to mention that the current trial outcomes and possible penalties for these defendants aren't explicitly stated in the available data. For precise and current information on this case, one should consult official legal documentation or news reports focusing on this specific matter. In general, such cases involving weapons possession, particularly by individuals associated with extremist groups like the "Reichsbürger" scene, can lead to significant consequences in Germany, including fines and imprisonment, contingent on the gravity of the charges and the specifics of the case. Nonetheless, without specific case details, the exact outcomes or potential penalties remain unclear.
- The courthouse drama at Mosbach Regional Court involves a case where multiple defendants, believed to be members of the same "Reichsbürger" group, are accused of violating both the Weapons Act and the War Weapons Control Act, due to their alleged possession of nine firearms, including an automatic rifle, and cultivation of cannabis plants.
- Remarkably, all of the defendants, ranging in age from 24 to 52, failed to attend the initial trial, causing concern among defense attorneys and court officials.
- Previously, these "Reichsbürger" defendants were connected to a raid in Boxberg, Baden-Württemberg, where a hidden cache of weapons was discovered during a Special Forces operation in April 2022.
- The court is currently evaluating next steps and measures to ensure the defendants' attendance at future hearings, while keeping in mind the potential severe consequences for such violations, including up to five years in prison for a conviction under the War Weapons Control Act.
