Ex AfD leader Petry charged with perjury

The Dresden Public Prosecution Office in Germany has filed charges against former leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) Frauke Petry for perjury on Wednesday.

Judicial authorities informed press that Petry stood accused of making a false statement under oath when she appeared as a witness before an electoral commission in the state of Saxony in 2015.

State prosecutors began investigations into the case over a year ago after discovering apparent contradictions in the narratives presented by Petry and AfD treasurer Carsten Huetter with regards to the party's list of candidates for regional elections in 2014. Specifically, state prosecutors believe that Petry misrepresented the nature of a loan agreement between her party and electoral candidates.

Earlier in August, the resulting accusations of perjury had led Saxony's regional assembly, where Petry is a delegate, to revoke her political immunity and thus pave the way for a formal trial. The former AfD co-chair has repeatedly said that she welcomed the opportunity to publicly defend herself in court.

In an unexpected political move, Petry surprisingly defected from the AfD faction after the party entered the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag) for the first time in the Sept. 24 elections. She now holds a back-bench seat as an independent delegate in the assembly.