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.
Africa continues to advance and demands investment at scale, justice in global systems, and partnerships grounded in respect, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Tuesday.
Israeli military operations and surging settler attacks in the occupied West Bank are killing and maiming a growing number of Palestinian children, while in Gaza tens of thousands with life-changing injuries lack access to treatment and rehabilitation, UN agencies warned on Tuesday.
Economic inequality is leaving a deep mark on children’s health, learning and future opportunities – with effects felt well beyond the classroom, the UN Children’s Fund UNICEF and the UN education agency UNESCO warned on Tuesday.
Many women in eastern Chad are being forced to give birth in overcrowded clinics with limited medicine, minimal equipment and severe shortages of anesthesia, as a worsening humanitarian crisis overwhelms the country’s fragile healthcare system, the UN reproductive health agency, UNFPA, warned on Tuesday.
As the Strait of Hormuz crisis deepens and tensions between Iran and the United States remain unresolved, oil prices rose again early Monday, prompting the UN Secretary-General to call for a peaceful resolution and warn of the widening fallout across Africa and beyond.
Drones caused more than 80 per cent of civilian deaths in Sudan’s war during the first four months of 2026, killing at least 880 people, the UN human rights chief said on Monday, warning that escalating drone warfare could push the conflict into an even deadlier phase.
The humanitarian situation in Lebanon continues to deteriorate despite the ceasefire announced last month with Israel, the United Nations said on Monday.
More than 150,000 people have been affected by Tropical Cyclone Maila, the latest storm in the Pacific area, which continues to drive what the UN relief coordination office OCHA has described as “significant humanitarian needs” across the Solomon Islands.
UN human rights chief Volker Türk on Monday praised Mongolia’s recent human rights progress during a visit to the country, which recently adopted the region’s first law protecting human rights defenders.
The United Nations on Monday launched a major expansion of its Nairobi headquarters, with Secretary-General António Guterres and Kenyan President William Ruto marking what officials described as a significant milestone for the Organization’s presence in Africa.
Björn Höcke heads the far-right Alternative for Germany party in the state of Thuringia.Credit…Sean Gallup/Getty Images