The first day of the main hearing in the trial against Björn Höcke begins with significant delays. Only after several applications have been decided can the indictment be read out.
The public prosecutor's office expressed its anger at the defense lawyers' actions. The Thuringian party leader is accused of using the symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations. The penalty is between a fine and a prison sentence of three years. He is also accused of having used the slogan "Everything for Germany" at an AfD event in Gera, Thuringia, last December. The starting point for the accusation against him is a speech that he gave in May 2021 in Merseburg, Saxony-Anhalt (Saalekreis). Initially, only this speech should be part of the Main hearing. The chamber has decided to separate the charges relating to the use of the banned slogan "Everything for Germany" from the case in Merseburg. The reason for this is that Höcke's defenders changed at short notice. An indictment was also admitted at the Mühlhausen regional court in Thuringia. There have been numerous investigations against Höcke. In Halle, he now has to appear in court for the first time. He defended his choice of words in a TV duel against the Thuringian CDU top candidate Mario Voigt. He used the slogan in a free campaign speech and ultimately translated Donald Trump's slogan "America First" into German in a freely interpreted way. He is considered to have no chance because none of the parties previously represented in the state parliament want to form a coalition with the AfD. Theoretically, under certain conditions, the court could actually decide that Höcke temporarily loses his right to vote. However, the prerequisite is that he is sentenced to a prison sentence of at least six months. He wants to apply for a direct mandate in the Greiz district in eastern Thuringia. It is currently completely unclear whether a conviction will even occur.