Scholz comments sharply on the arrest of ex-AfD MPs
Created: 08/12/2022, 20:11
Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (l) and Manuela Schwesig, Prime Minister of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
© Kay Nietfeld/dpa
In connection with the major raid on the Reichsbürger scene, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) commented sharply on the alleged involvement of a former AfD member of the Bundestag.
The fact that a former AfD member of the German Bundestag was among the accused "is of course a very remarkable and very serious incident," said Scholz on Thursday evening after the consultations with the country heads in the Chancellery.
Berlin – Scholz referred to the Berlin judge and former AfD member of the Bundestag Birgit Malsack-Winkemann, who was arrested in the course of the nationwide raid on Wednesday as a suspect in connection with membership in a terrorist organization.
Scholz had previously been asked about the consequences that would have to be drawn from this event.
"It is clear that something is going on here," said Scholz.
However, the possible consequences are now about “autonomous decisions by the federal and state authorities for the protection of the constitution, which each carry out a legal assessment,” emphasized Scholzu.
It's a good way to deal with what's happening.
Otherwise, "the most important consequence is that everyone knows that we have a well-fortified state, a well-fortified democracy that can thwart such violations of the law and such plans with its security authorities and can reject them with all their might," emphasized the Chancellor.
On Wednesday, the federal prosecutor had 25 people arrested in one of the largest police operations in the history of the Federal Republic in eleven federal states as well as in Italy and Austria.
She accuses 22 of them of being a member of a terrorist organization that wanted to overthrow the political system.
The other three are about support.
With the exception of one Russian, all of them have German citizenship.
The federal prosecutor also spoke of 27 other suspects.
dpa
