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ConflictGerman Court Sentences Eight Far-Right 'Last Defense Wave' Members to Up to Five Years in Prison
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The Hanseatic Higher Regional Court in Hamburg has convicted eight members of the far-right extremist group 'Last Defense Wave' on charges including membership in a terrorist organization and attempted murder. Sentences ranged from two years and four months to five years in prison under juvenile criminal law, with one defendant receiving a suspended sentence of one and a half years. Three defendants were also convicted as ringleaders. The group, composed of suspects aged 14 to 21 at the time of their arrest, had planned explosive and arson attacks on refugees and leftists. They had already carried out initial acts, including a nighttime arson attack on an inhabited cultural center in Altdöbern in October 2024 and a pyrotechnic attack on a refugee shelter in Schmölln in January 2025. No injuries occurred, which investigators attributed partly to chance. The group was dismantled by security forces in May 2025, with arrests in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Brandenburg, and Hesse. The presiding judge described the acts as an attempt to 'bring about chaos.'
Source report
The defendants in the courtroom of the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court. Source: Christian Charisius/dpa
The Hanseatic Higher Regional Court has convicted eight members of the right-wing extremist group "Last Defense Wave" on charges including membership in a terrorist organization and attempted murder. Sentences range up to five years in prison.
Sentences Handed Down
- Seven prison sentences under juvenile criminal law: from two years and four months to five years
- One defendant received a suspended sentence of one and a half years
- Three defendants were also convicted of being ringleaders
According to the presiding judge, the acts represented an attempt to "bring about chaos." She noted that the term "brown children's room" was "quite aptly chosen."
Group's Planned Attacks
The cross-state active group, composed of some very young and still minor suspects, was dismantled by security forces in May of last year. Some alleged members and supporters were arrested during a raid, while others were already in custody.
According to the indictment by the Federal Public Prosecutor General, the group planned potentially deadly attacks on refugees and political dissidents. Some accused had already committed initial acts, including:
- A nighttime arson attack on an inhabited cultural center in Altdöbern in October 2024
- A nighttime pyrotechnic attack on a refugee shelter in Schmölln, Thuringia, in January 2025
No injuries were reported, which investigators attributed in some cases to chance alone. A further attack on a refugee shelter in Senftenberg, Brandenburg, had already been planned.
Arrests and Trial Details
- Arrests occurred last year in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Brandenburg, and Hesse
- Suspects were between 14 and 21 years old at the time of the offenses
- The Hamburg Higher Regional Court is also responsible for state security offenses from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
- Due to the age of some accused, the trial took place behind closed doors, except for the announcement of the verdict
AFP/jho
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Nachrichten - WELTWestern
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German Court Sentences Eight Far-Right 'Last Defense Wave' Members to Prison