Thuringia's AfD leader Björn Höcke is now on trial because he is said to have used a banned SA slogan. Just a few days ago he defended his choice of words.
Halle - Thuringia's AfD leader Björn Höcke has already been investigated several times, and a trial against the 52-year-old is now beginning: He is said to have used Nazi vocabulary and must therefore answer to the regional court in Halle from today on. The public prosecutor's office accuses him of using the symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations.
In two speeches he is said to have used a banned slogan of the Sturmabteilung (SA), the paramilitary fighting organization of the NSDAP. Just a week ago, the former history teacher denied on television that he knew that it was a banned slogan.
Höcke is the Thuringian AfD's top candidate for the state elections on September 1st. His state association is classified and monitored by the state Office for the Protection of the Constitution as definitely right-wing extremist. If convicted, the penalty ranges from a fine to a prison sentence of up to three years. The presumption of innocence applies until a possible conviction. Four days of negotiations have been scheduled so far.
Speech in the state election campaign
The starting point for the accusation against Höcke is a speech that he gave in May 2021 in Merseburg in Saxony-Anhalt (Saalekreis). He is said to have said: “Everything for our homeland, everything for Saxony-Anhalt, everything for Germany”. The then Saxony-Anhalt Green Party leader Sebastian Striegel filed a complaint against the AfD politician and referred to a report from the Bundestag's scientific service, according to which using the phrase "Everything for Germany" in a speech at a meeting is punishable.
Last year, the Halle public prosecutor brought charges. She accuses Höcke of knowing about the origin and meaning of the slogan. According to the public prosecutor's office at the time, Höcke's lawyers denied the criminal relevance of his statement.
The politician is also accused of having used the slogan again last December at an AfD event in Gera, Thuringia - his appearance in Merseburg and the legal consequences had long been a topic in the media. In Gera, as a speaker, Höcke is said to have said the first part “Everything for” himself and used gestures to encourage the audience to shout “Germany”.
Höcke defends his choice of words
Even before the trial began, Höcke commented on the allegations on television. 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 interpreting way, he said on broadcaster Welt a week before the trial began.
When asked whether he didn't know during the speech that "Everything for Germany" was an SA slogan, he said: "No, I didn't know." It was a common saying.
Höcke opponents are calling for a demonstration
For the first day of the main hearing it can be assumed that - as usual - the indictment will be read out. Höcke then has the opportunity to comment on the allegations himself or through his defense attorney. Höcke is defended by a lawyer from Erfurt. He told the dpa that a spontaneous decision would be made as to whether he or his client would comment on the allegations.
At the beginning of the hearing there are likely to be protests in front of the court - for example, the “Association of those persecuted by the Nazi regime - Association of Antifascists” has called for demonstrations. The trial will take place in the security wing of the justice center in Halle. In order to ensure that the main hearing runs smoothly, the court ordered, among other things, entrance controls.
What is at stake for Höcke
Höcke wants to become Prime Minister of Thuringia. 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. The Thuringian electoral law states that anyone who is excluded from the right to vote or who “as a result of a judge’s ruling does not have the eligibility or ability to hold public office” cannot be elected.
Theoretically, under certain conditions, the court could actually decide that Höcke temporarily loses his right to vote and also his right to stand for election. However, the prerequisite is that Höcke is sentenced to a prison sentence of at least six months. In addition, the party law states: “Persons who, as a result of a judge’s decision, are not eligible to vote or have the right to vote cannot be members of a party.” It is currently completely unclear whether a conviction will even occur.
Further trial in Thuringia
Höcke will not only have to face a trial in Halle. An indictment was also admitted at the regional court in Mühlhausen (Thuringia) - there it concerns the accusation of incitement to hatred. There have been numerous investigations against Björn Höcke. In Halle he now has to appear in court for the first time. dpa