A former employee of an AfD member of the Bundestag is to be denaturalized: there are indications that he acted on behalf of Russia to the detriment of Germany. Due to the increasing number of cases, Berlin is now considering regularly consulting the Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
A former employee of an AfD member of the Bundestag has so far unsuccessfully fought against his expatriation. The Berlin-Brandenburg Higher Administrative Court has declared the withdrawal of the naturalization legal in an accelerated procedure. Like the Berlin Administrative Court, it confirmed the actions of the Senate’s Interior Office. The reason given was that the former AfD employee had obtained his naturalization through fraudulent deception. (Ref.: OVG 5 S 27/24)
The man hid his Russian passport during the naturalization process. That alone justified the immediate withdrawal of the naturalization, it was said. Moreover, based on the information available to the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, it is highly likely that he is acting on behalf of the Russian state authorities, to the detriment of the Federal Republic of Germany.
In this case, the public interest outweighs the man’s personal interest, the judges said. The current decision is not subject to appeal and is immediately enforceable.
The ex-AfD employee tried in vain to prevent his naturalization from being revoked immediately via the accelerated procedure. However, he continues to defend himself against this with a lawsuit at the Berlin Administrative Court. It is still unclear when a decision will be made in the process.
More stringent security measures are needed
Until the beginning of this year, the man was an employee of AfD member of the Bundestag Eugen Schmidt and had a parliamentary identity card for a long time. According to information from the court, he told a district office in Berlin in September 2019 that he only had Ukrainian citizenship. In November 2022, he became a German citizen. In April 2023, however, the federal police found a Russian passport and a large amount of cash on his person at Hamburg Airport. The Senate of the Interior then revoked the naturalization.
Incidents like these have led to stricter security measures in the Bundestag. For example, it is now being considered whether the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution should be regularly asked for information before a home ID card for employees is issued. A decision on the new measures is expected this autumn.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
