Alleged leaders of neo-Nazi group go on trial in Germany

A trial of four alleged German neo-Nazis accused of founding the far-right fighting group "Knockout 51" began on Monday in the eastern city of Jena.

Prosecutors accuse the men of plotting assassinations of left-wing activists. Two of the defendants allegedly obtained illegal weapons.

At least one of the defendants tried to use a 3D printer to create all the parts for a sub-machine gun in early 2021 and began work on producing ammunition, a prosecutor told the court on Monday during the opening of the trial.

The group, based in the nearby city of Eisenach, began plotting to kill members of the left-wing extremist scene in April 2021 or earlier, according to prosecutors.

Police arrested the four men in early April 2022 during a large-scale crackdown on the militant neo-Nazi scene in the eastern German state of Thuringia. They have remained in custody since then.

Strict security measures were in place at the courthouse in Jena on Monday morning for the first day of the proceedings, with members of the public watching the trial checked by security both outside the building and again before entering the courtroom.