German police arrest far-left militant over attacks on neo-Nazis in Germany, Hungary
Johann G., suspected of causing ‘severe bodily injuries,’ as well as property damage and forgery; believed part of ring in which four others were already jailed for assaults
BERLIN, Germany — German federal prosecutors on Saturday said they had arrested a left-wing extremist wanted by police for years over alleged physical attacks on members of far-right groups in Germany and Hungary.
Johann G., a German national, was detained on a train traveling between the eastern cities of Erfurt and Gera, over his suspected membership of a group led by Leipzig student Lina E., one of four activists jailed last year for assaulting neo-Nazis.
He is “highly suspected of participating in a criminal organization” and of having committed attacks that led to “severe bodily injuries,” “property damage” and “document forgery,” prosecutors said in a statement.
The German interior ministry applauded the police forces for what it called “a major success.”
“Left-wing extremist groups pose a significant danger. The threshold of restraint from attacking political adversaries with great brutality has lowered,” Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said on X.
Police issued an arrest warrant against Johann G. in 2021 over his suspected role in assaults carried out in Germany in 2019 and 2020.
The ring’s members targeted individuals they suspected were part of the “far-right scene” in carefully planned acts of violence, prosecutors said.
On two occasions, they assaulted the owner and customers of a restaurant popular with neo-Nazis in the town of Eisenach, using batons and irritant sprays.
Johann G. is also accused of taking part in February 2023 attacks on the sidelines of a far-right gathering in Budapest attended by neo-Nazi militants from across Europe. The victims suffered bruising including to the head.
A court sentenced Lina E. in May 2023 to more than five years in jail for attacking neo-Nazis. She has become a symbol for far-left activists, with the slogan “Free Lina” frequently appearing at rallies.
“Opposing right-wing extremists is a respectable motive,” said judge Hans Schlueter-Staats in his verdict at the time. But such attacks are still “serious criminal acts.”
