3 yıl önce

Germany: Hundreds of far-right extremists working in security services

In majority of the cases, suspects were members of far-right chat groups and they also had ties to the right-wing extremist groups.

AP

Investigations into far-right incidents within the security services resulted in disciplinary action in nearly 500 cases.

German authorities have identified 327 right-wing extremists among soldiers, police and intelligence officers, a new report has revealed.

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and the country’s domestic intelligence chief Thomas Haldenwang presented the government’s report at a news conference in Berlin on Friday.

Faeser said authorities examined nearly 860 suspected far-right cases in security services between July 2018 and June 2021, and found strong evidence of right-wing extremism in 327 cases.

She said the government takes the problem seriously and will take strong measures against the far-right infiltration of state institutions.

“We will not allow right-wing extremists to sabotage our democratic state from inside,” the Social Democrat politician stressed.

According to the report, investigations into far-right incidents within the security services resulted in disciplinary action in nearly 500 cases.

Culture of tolerance towards right-wing extremists

Thomas Haldenwang, the head of Germany’s domestic intelligence agency BfV, said in majority of the cases, suspects were members of far-right chat groups and they also had ties to the right-wing extremist groups.

“There is no place for right-wing extremists in security services,” he stressed, adding that authorities will take stronger measures against far-right groups, such as the Reichsbuerger.

German state authorities have long been under criticism for downplaying issues of racism and discrimination, and an alleged culture of tolerance towards right-wing extremists.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition government announced a new “action plan” in March to combat racism and pledged stronger measures to counter the growing threat posed by the far-right.