Police have raided around 50 homes and other locations, targeting people suspected of involvement in far-right criminal youth groups that have recently emerged in Germany.
Prosecutors said the suspects were believed to be part of two groups, “Jung & Stark” (JS), or Young and Strong, and “Deutsche Jugend Voran” (DJV), which means Forwards German Youth.
No arrests were made in Wednesday’s raids, which took place in 12 states, mainly in the east and south of Germany, including Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg and Saxony.
In a statement, federal prosecutors said the raids targeted individuals suspected of organising violence through social media and forming nationwide networks.
“Some of the accused are said to have attacked members of the left-wing scene or people they believed to be paedophiles. In each case, the victims were beaten by several attackers and sustained significant injuries,” prosecutors said.
During their meetings, authorities say, group members have called “for acts of violence against political opponents and against alleged paedophiles”.
Last year one of the leaders of DJV was sentenced to more than three years in prison after a string of violent attacks against political opponents in Berlin.
More than 600 police were involved in Wednesday’s raids.
There is deep concern in Germany about young people being drawn into far-right activity and violence targeting both left-wing figures and LGBT communities.
Credit: bbc.com
