Thuringia's AfD leader Björn Höcke is accused of using Nazi vocabulary. The public prosecutor accuses him of knowing that he was speaking an SA slogan.
The penalty for using license plates of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations ranges from a fine to three years in prison. The next day of the hearing is scheduled for next Tuesday. The presumption of innocence applies until a possible conviction, the public prosecutor's office says. The trial was delayed for a long time because of the defense lawyers changing at short notice. The scope of the charges was changed before the trial began, the court spokeswoman added. The charges relating to the use of the banned slogan "Everything for Germany" in Gera have been separated from the case in Merseburg, she said. It is the first court case against the Thuringian party leader, who has not commented on the accusation. Hundreds of opponents gathered in front of the courthouse in Halle. Höcke 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. He defended his choice of words in a TV duel against the Thuringian CDU top candidate Mario Voigt a week before the trial began. 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. The police spoke of around 570 people. According to the police, operations at the court are running normally despite the meeting. The first day of the main hearing will be assumed that - as usual - the indictment will be read out. HCKE then has the opportunity to comment on the allegations himself or through his defense attorney. The trial is expected to last for two weeks. The verdicts are expected to be delivered at the end of September.