German Far-Right Leader Goes on Trial for Nazi Slogans
Björn Höcke, one of the most prominent far-right figures in Germany, has called the trial an attempt to suppress patriotism.
Björn Höcke heads the far-right Alternative for Germany party in the state of Thuringia.Credit…Sean Gallup/Getty Images
One of Germany’s most prominent far-right leaders, Björn Höcke, stands trial on Thursday, facing charges of using banned Nazi slogans at political rallies.
Using National Socialist slogans and symbols is a punishable crime in Germany, which, because of the legacy of Hitler’s rise to power, has a far more restrictive approach to free speech compared to democracies like the United States.
Mr. Höcke heads the far-right Alternative for Germany, known by its German abbreviation, AfD, in the state of Thuringia. Both he and the state branch he leads have been classified by domestic intelligence as right-wing extremist and are under surveillance.
He is facing trial for using the slogan “Everything for Germany” at a speech in the eastern state of Saxony, where he is being put on trial. It was the slogan of the National Socialist paramilitary group, or Storm Troopers, and was engraved on their knives.
Mr. Höcke has said he did not know the phrase was a Nazi slogan. But critics have insisted that argument is not credible, given he was a history teacher before he became a politician. And they note that AfD politicians in two other states have already been stopped by authorities in past years for using the slogan.
The trial will take place in the city of Halle, at the state’s highest court and is expected to last until May 14. If found guilty, Mr. Höcke could face a short prison term or a fine. The court could also decide to temporarily revoke his right to vote and run in elections. Such a decision would be a major blow during a pivotal election year in Germany, in which Mr. Höcke and the AfD are expected to gain the largest share of votes.
In all three eastern German states holding elections later this year, the AfD is the most popular party. And nationwide, it is polling better than any of the three governing parties, in spite of nationwide mass protests that erupted after an investigative report revealed some AfD members had attended a secretive conference to discuss deporting immigrants.
The AfD’s latest resurgence started last spring, when it benefited from anxieties over rising migration and frustration with the government’s poor handling of the country’s stagnating economy. Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s governing coalition looked weak and divided throughout.
2024 saw the highest increase in missing persons in at least two decades, with 56,559 new cases recorded, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Two senior UN officials appealed in the Security Council on Wednesday for an end to attacks against humanitarians and personnel working for the global organization.
Friday’s devastating earthquakes in Myanmar not only caused mass casualties and widespread destruction, they also deepened long-standing gender inequalities – leaving millions of women and girls at heightened risk, UN aid agencies warned on Wednesday.
Amid alarming reports of sexual violence being used as a weapon of terror across Sudan, UN reproductive health agency, UNFPA, is warning that over 12 million women and girls – and increasingly men and boys – are estimated to be at risk.
The “world is failing” people living with disabilities, UN deputy chief Amina Mohammed has told a major summit which aims to galvanize global efforts to ensure they are fully integrated into all parts of society.
As the death toll continues to rise in Myanmar after last Friday's earthquake tragedy, UN humanitarians have been rushing to support severely deprived and traumatized victims, warning that the window for lifesaving response is closing.
UN humanitarians and partners on Tuesday expressed deep shock at the killing of 15 colleagues on duty in southern Gaza by Israeli forces whose remains were recovered on Sunday from a shallow grave after a week-long rescue operation, noting that one worker is still missing.
Policymakers, researchers, the private sector and other stakeholders are meeting in Zambia’s capital, Lusaka, over the next three days to chart a path toward sustainable development and resilience for the world’s Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
Björn Höcke heads the far-right Alternative for Germany party in the state of Thuringia.Credit…Sean Gallup/Getty Images