German intel agency suspends labeling of AfD as ‘right-wing extremist’ pending appeal

COLOGNE, Germany — Germany’s domestic intelligence service will temporarily suspend its classification of the far-right AfD party as a “right-wing extremist” group pending a legal appeal, a court says.

The BfV agency last week announced it was giving the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany the label after a lengthy investigation, accusing it of seeking to undermine the country’s democracy.

But the AfD — which came second in February elections, behind only new Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives — said the move was politically motivated and lodged a legal challenge.

The Cologne court says the BfV spy agency will no longer refer to the AfD as a “confirmed right-wing extremist” organization in public and remove a press release about the designation from its website.

The BfV was taking such steps without admitting any legal liability, a court statement adds, pointing out that the agency is waiting for the outcome of the AfD’s challenge.

AfD leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla say in a statement posted on X that the party had scored “a partial success.”

“This is an important first step to us being fully in the clear and countering accusations of right-wing extremism,” they add.