The Third Trial of the Accused in the 'Coup Plot' Begins in Germany

The third trial of three major trials against members of the far-right group 'Reichsbürger' (Citizens of the Reich) has begun in Germany. This group is accused of conspiring to violently overthrow the government and kidnap the Chancellor. In this trial, held in Munich, eight members of the 'secret branch' of the Reichsbürger, including the alleged leader of the group, Prince Heinrich XIII of Reuss, are present. Other members of the 'secret branch' whose trial began on Tuesday, June 18, include a general practitioner, a famous chef, and a 'fortune teller' who, according to prosecutors, were supposed to act as a temporary cabinet in the event of a successful coup. This group, which has about 23,000 members in Germany, seeks to overthrow the government and establish a new regime based on the model of the German Empire. It is estimated that about 10% of Reichsbürger members are inclined to use violence. Investigations show that a thousand of them are also part of active far-right individuals in political and street scenes. Prosecutors claim that this group intended to kidnap and display Olaf Scholz, the Chancellor of Germany, on television to attract more supporters. However, the defendants deny these allegations. The trial of the 'secret branch' of this group, which is being held in a court with heavy security measures in Munich, is expected to continue until January, similar to two other trials currently underway in Stuttgart (for the 'military branch') and Frankfurt (for the 'main conspirators'), but according to prosecutors, these trials may take years and are very complex. A total of 27 people have been arrested in connection with this conspiracy. Defense lawyers consider the defendants to be merely conspiracy theorists and deny the charges against them. However, last Thursday, German police, during a raid on 16 properties in two western states of the country, seized 900 rounds of ammunition, drugs, luxury watches, jewelry, and 30,000 euros (32,380 dollars) in cash, stating that they found signs of organized crime links with the far-right Reichsbürger group. Germany is facing increasing concerns about the rise of the far-right following their recent success in European elections and multiple arrests related to espionage for Russia and China. In December 2022, after covert investigations and a series of anti-terrorism attacks, German police reported the discovery of a conspiratorial group. This group intended to appoint Heinrich XIII, Prince of Reuss, their leader, as the temporary leader of the country. Defense lawyers for this group do not consider them terrorists and claim that they are merely conspiracy theorists brought together by opposition to COVID restrictions. Lawyers for Heinrich XIII also deny any planning for violence or murder by him. Among the defendants is Hildegard Leiding, a 60-year-old 'fortune teller' and member of the far-right 'AfD' party. She is said to have been intended as the 'Minister of Supernatural Communications' in the new government. Leiding and a welder from Bavaria are accused of using their claimed 'spiritual criteria' to select 'suitable candidates' for the future government. Among these candidates were a famous Austrian chef for public nutrition responsibilities and a general practitioner for the Ministry of Health. This general practitioner, who is said to have become radicalized during the COVID pandemic and specializes in 'predicting the future through egg reading,' is accused of donating 47,000 euros of his own money to this conspiracy scheme. After his arrest, his practice partner expressed shock and surprise by posting a notice on the office door, denying any connection with far-right ideology.