Thuringia's AfD leader Björn Höcke has had to answer before the Halle regional court since Thursday because he is said to have used Nazi vocabulary. The public prosecutor's office accuses him of knowing that the slogan "Everything for Germany" was a forbidden slogan of the Nazi party NSDAP.
If convicted, the penalty ranges from a fine to three years in prison. The trial in Halle is now the first trial that the North Rhine-Rhine-Westphalia region has seen in the last few years. The Thuringian AfD, of which he is chairman, is classified and monitored by the state Office for the Protection of the Constitution as definitely right-wing extremist. It was by no means certain that the indictment would be read out at all. There were several interruptions to the hearing. Protesters gathered in front of the justice center. They stood on the sidewalk and street with posters in their hands that read, among other things, "Björn. Höcke is a Nazi. " "All together against fascism," they chanted. For confidential support call the Samaritans in the UK on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritan branch or click here for details.