Trial against Reich citizens: defendant does not appear at the hearing!

The trial against a 66-year-old man, who is suspected to be a member of the “Reich Citizens” and “Self-Administration” movements, has begun at the Zweibrücken regional court. However, the defendant did not appear at the start of the trial, resulting in a delay of three hours. He had called in sick, but had not provided a medical certificate. The police were forced to locate the defendant at his registered address in Kreimbach-Kaulbach (Rhineland-Palatinate) and bring him to court, as the Saarbrücken newspaper reported.

The allegations against the defendant include unconstitutional influence on security organs and denigration of the state and its symbols. The so-called “Reich citizens” and “self-administrators” reject the existence of the Federal Republic of Germany and its legal system. The defendant is said to have spread the ideas of this movement in 20 letters between 2017 and 2018. These letters were sent, among others, to the Nuremberg Higher Regional Court, the Passau JVA and various police stations.

Content of the letter and personal views

In the letters sent, the Federal Republic of Germany is denied statehood and sovereignty. The defendant called for the restoration of the German Empire and expressed criticism of the post-war administration. In particular, he described the Federal Republic of Germany as a “sham state established in violation of international law” and called for “denazification”. Although the defendant admitted to having sent the letters, he stated that he did not want to “undermine the basic order of the Federal Republic of Germany” and emphasized that his statements were an expression of his displeasure with Angela Merkel's asylum policy.

The defendant described himself as the “most peaceful person” and denied being part of the Reich Citizens’ Movement. Citing his view that German territory should exist within the borders before the First World War, he also canceled his identity card. He lives as a member of the “indigenous Germanite people” and continues to pay taxes. The documents were sent on behalf of the “People’s State of Bavaria”, but without having read them completely. The presiding judge indicated that there may be complicity in criminal liability.

The hearing will continue on January 14th at 9 a.m. in the Zweibrücken regional court.

The “Reich Citizens’ Movement” includes groups of right-wing extremists and conspiracy theorists. Their core ideology is anti-Semitic, historical revisionist and anti-democratic. The Federal Ministry of the Interior estimates that there are several hundred members of this movement nationwide, who often viewed the Basic Law as a “continuation of the war against the German Reich,” like the Federal Agency for Civic Education performs. These groups often refuse to pay taxes and do not recognize German legislation, leading to increased potential for conflict.