After the raid scandal: AfD plans to expel ‘Saxon separatists’

The federal public prosecutor’s office arrested eight men in Saxony on Tuesday. They are strongly suspected of being members of a right-wing extremist domestic terrorist organization calling itself the ‘Saxon separatists’, as Karlsruhe authorities announced on Tuesday.

The AfD’s federal leadership plans to rule out
Apparently there were also AfD members among them. On Wednesday, the federal leadership of the AfD plans a special conference at which those involved will be expelled from the right-wing populist German party.

The AfD’s federal board should apply for expulsion from the party to the responsible state arbitration court “due to a significant violation of the principles and order of our party.” Until the decision of the arbitral tribunal, Chrupalla and Weidel wish to exclude the members from exercising all their membership rights with immediate effect.

Saxon Regional Association as a protected right-wing extremist
The AfD distances itself from this suspected neo-Nazi group and stands on the basis of the Basic Law, according to Wednesday’s statement. The response is also important in connection with a possible AfD ban procedure, because the Saxon regional association has been considered right-wing extremist since December. In the past, three AfD politicians were also involved in the suspected right-wing terrorists of the ‘Reuss Group’ in 2022 – including from Saxony. Research raises the question of whether other parts of the party will become radicalized in the future.

AfD politician injured by gunshot
During the raid on Tuesday, AfD politician Kurt H. was probably injured by a shot. According to security circles at the German media Spiegel, shots were fired that morning during H’s arrest in Grimme, Saxony.

Accordingly, the politician grabbed a carbine when he was arrested, after which authorities fired two warning shots. H. then fell to the ground with a wound to his jaw. According to investigators, it initially remained unclear whether it was a police bullet or a projectile from H’s own weapon. H. has been treasurer of the Saxon AfD youth association Junge Alternative (JA) since October and is simultaneously a member of the municipal council of the municipality of Grimma in Saxony.

The extremist activities of Kurt H.
According to media reports, Kurt H. had been active in the far-right scene for a long time. As recently as June 2024, he was involved in a solstice celebration in Upper Lusatia, where 150 AfD politicians, neo-Nazis, new right-wing activists and hooligans sang Hitler Youth songs and honored an SS great.

Kurt H. has also received increasing attention in recent years because of his connections with extreme right-wing circles. The three suspected AfD members, who probably belong to the ‘Saxon Separatists’ group, have been active in the party for several years. During this time you have held various positions at local and regional level.

One of the two other suspects, Kevin R., sits on committees for the AfD in Grimma, such as the social committee and the culture, youth and sports committee. In 2021 he was also a media representative and representative of the JA in the Leipziger Land district association of the AfD. Hans-Georg P. was appointed to the East City District Advisory Board by the Leipzig AfD in 2021.

Two Austrians under suspicion
According to the German federal prosecutor’s office in Karlsruhe, the group members reject the free-democratic basic order. According to the information, the association assumes that Germany is facing a “collapse”. If the state and society collapse, the group wants to use armed force to conquer areas in Saxony and possibly also in other East German countries.

According to Spiegel, among the arrested suspected terrorists are the brothers Jörg & Jörn S., who are said to belong to the family of a well-known right-wing extremist from Austria and a former FPÖ politician.