German authorities conduct searches in connection with politician murder

German authorities conducted large-scale searches in connection with the murder of German politician Walter Luebcke, the General Public Prosecutor's Office in Frankfurt and the Hessian State Office of Criminal Investigation (HLKA) announced on Thursday, reported news agency Xinhua.

Investigations were directed against 40 suspects and were carried out in 12 federal states, according to the German authorities. The suspects were accused of posting hateful comments about the murdered politician on social networks.

The local politician was shot by an assumed right-wing extremist on June 2 last year because of the politician's liberal attitude during the refugee crisis. The trial against the main suspect and a potential supporter is scheduled to begin in mid-June.

On Tuesday, one year after the murder, Federal Minister of Justice and Consumer Protection Christine Lambrecht stressed that the political murder of Luebcke had been an "attack on our democracy."

"Threats and defamation in contempt of humanity create a climate of violence," stressed Lambrecht. "Anyone who instigates and threatens on the net must therefore be quickly and consistently made responsible by the criminal justice system."