Germany raids a 'significant blow' to right-wing extremists

German investigators carried out raids across the country on Wednesday against suspected right-wing extremist groups.

Some 800 police officers were involved in the raids starting in the morning in 11 of Germany's 16 federal states, targeting some 50 suspects in total.

Four leading members of a martial arts group called Knockout 51 in the central town of Eisenach were detained, a spokesperson for the Federal Prosecutor's Office said. They are suspected of membership in a criminal organization.

Prosecutors said the martial arts group was accused of violent acts, especially against known left-wingers, and also police. The members are said to have tried to "keep order" with neighbourhood patrols and injured several people badly between February 2021 and January 2022.

"Under the cover of communal physical training, [the suspects] enticed young, nationalistically minded men and indoctrinated them with right-wing extremist ideas," prosecutors said.

German media reports said that members of the group had taken part in protests against coronavirus measures in order to provoke violence.

They are expected to brought before a judge on Wednesday or Thursday to decide on whether they should be remanded in custody.

The state headquarters of the right-wing extremist National Democratic Party (NPD) was reported to have been targeted in the raids. Training sessions of the martial arts group are said to have taken place there.

Prosecutors said the right-wing extremist group Combat 18, which was banned at the beginning of 2020, was also targeted. The raids concern violations of the ban.

The raids were "a significant blow against the violent right-wing scene and a large success for the security forces," said the president of Germany's domestic intelligence agency, Thomas Haldenweg.