The Thuringian AfD leader Björn Höcke must answer before the regional court in Halle on Thursday. The reason is a banned slogan from the Sturmabteilung (SA), the paramilitary fighting organization of the NSDAP.
The public prosecutor's office accuses him of using the symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations. If convicted in the Hall trial, 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 for the trial to take place on April 18th and 19th. The AfD is classified and monitored by the state Office for the Protection of the Constitution as definitely right-wing extremist. The former history teacher denied on television that he knew that it was a banned phrase. He is said to have said: "Everything for our homeland, everything for Saxony-Anhalt, Everything for Germany" in a speech in May 2021. The indictment is expected to be read out on the first day of the main hearing, as is usual in court proceedings. Höcke then has the opportunity to respond to the allegations either personally or through his defense attorney. The trial will take place in the security wing of the justice center in Halle. The AfDler 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. 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. However, it remains unclear whether there will be a conviction at all. The court could theoretically decide that Höcke temporarily loses his right to vote and to stand for election. A prerequisite for this would be that he is sentenced to a prison sentence of at least six months. In addition, people who are not eligible to vote due to a judge's ruling cannot be members of a party.