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Seven individuals accused of being the German far-left militant group the Antifa Ost network began their trial on Tuesday, accused for violent actions against rightwing extremists that resulted in the nickname “the hammer group”.

International terrorist designation and legal charges

Recently, the US government designated the organization as a terrorist group together with multiple additional left-wing extremist and anarchist networks.

German prosecutors state the network was behind attacks on locations in the country and neighboring Hungary between 2018 and 2023. Included in the allegations is the repeated targeting of a business proprietor in central Thuringia, whose establishment reportedly served as a gathering spot for far-right supporters.

Some suspects are said to have using hammers against presumed rightwing extremists, leaving some with serious injuries.

Trial details and international connections

The trial involving six men and one woman is expected to run until mid-2026 in the city of Dresden. Two defendants, identified as Johann G and Paul M., are additionally accused for violent incidents in the Hungarian capital during early 2023, coinciding with an yearly gathering called the “day of honor” that attracts far-right participants from throughout the continent.

Separately, another German activist, Maja T., is facing trial in Hungary for four counts of attempted assault against neo-Nazis prior to the identical event in that year.

Regional context and organizational structure

Eastern Germany has long been a hotbed for both right-wing extremist and anti-immigration youth groups, as well as the frequently radical antifascist groups that counter them.

Prosecutors describe Johann G as a high-ranking member within the organization, responsible for planning attacks and recruiting accomplices.

Alongside Paul M, he is accused of organizing instruction courses where leftwing extremists practised combat techniques and rehearsed attacks. In storage facilities managed by the suspect, the network reportedly stockpiled hammers, irritant sprays, concealment items and communication devices.

Prior legal cases and international reactions

A different activist formerly involved with the organization, Lina E, emerged as a symbolic figure within some far-left activist circles following her conviction in 2023 for attacks on suspected right-wing individuals.

The US designation renders organization affiliates barred from entering the United States, freezes any assets they could possess within the world’s largest economy and criminalizes providing material support to them.

The German right-wing AfD party welcomed the American move and urged the government in Berlin to take similar action. In contrast, the country's diplomatic office merely commented it had “taken note” of the US designation.

“The threat from the organization has substantially diminished lately. Key leaders and most aggressive participants have received convictions or are in custody.”

Government representative