Björn Höcke's defense lawyers caused significant delays in the trial before the regional court in Halle. They had, among other things, requested that the hearing be fully documented via audio recording.
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. The charges relating to the use of the banned slogan "Everything for Germany" in Gera will not be the subject of today's main hearing, court spokeswoman Adina Kessler-Jensch said. The reason for this is that the new defense has not yet accessed the files relating to that incident. The hearing in Hleal will continue even if the application for jurisdiction has been granted, the spokeswoman said. It is conceivable that the case would continue, she said, even if it was decided that the court in Merseburg was responsible. The former history teacher wants to run as the AfD's top candidate in the state elections in Thuringia on September 1st. His party is classified as right-wing extremist by the state Office for the Protection of the Constitution. Höcke 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. He wants to apply for a direct mandate in the Greiz district in eastern Thuringia.