Germany adopts action plan against right-wing extremism, hate crime

Following the anti-Semitic shooting in the German city of Halle three weeks ago, the government approved an action plan against right-wing extremism and hate crime on Wednesday.

The action plan is envisaging an "obligation" for telecommunication companies and social networks to report hate crimes on the internet as well as to provide "existing data on criminally relevant hate crimes" to authorities, according to the German government.

In order to enforce such an obligation, the government is planning to establish a central reporting department at Germany's Federal Criminal Police (BKA).

"Those who agitate and threaten on the internet will be pursued harder and more effectively in future," Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht said on Wednesday.

The action plan also foresees a tightening of Germany's gun control laws. The "mere membership" in an organization, which is classified as anti-constitutional in Germany, should lead to a prohibition to possess a gun, according to the government.