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Probe underway after far-right threats sent to German politicians, courts and celebrities

German authorities are investigating over 100 threatening emails apparently sent by far-right sympathizers to lawyers, politicians, journalists and even a pop star, prosecutors said.

Published: 14 March 2019 17:32 CET
Probe underway after far-right threats sent to German politicians, courts and celebrities
Helene Fischer, who was reportedly one of the targets. Photo: DPA

Some of the emails contained bomb and other death treats, or boasted of being in possession of guns and biological weapons, according to revelations by the Süddeutsche daily and NDR regional broadcaster.

The emails were signed either with “National-Socialist Offensive”, a reference to Hitler's Nazi ideology, “Wehrmacht”, the German word for Hitler's army, or “NSU 2.0” — after the NSU neo-Nazi terror cell that murdered 10 people from 2000-2007.

Berlin prosecutors confirmed that they had opened a probe against persons unknown on suspicion of blackmail, incitement and disturbance of the peace.

Among those targeted by the hate mail was German far-left lawmaker Martina Renner who was warned to expect “letter bombs” and “executions of citizens in the street”, media reports said.

Popular German singer Helene Fischer, who last year criticized racist violence at far-right protests in the eastern city of Chemnitz, reportedly also received threats. Her management declined to comment when contacted by news agency DPA.

SEE ALSO: Eight police hurt in clashes at far-right gig in Germany

Similar emails were sent to court houses in several German cities, as well as the Frankfurt prosecutor's office, Hamburg airport and the tax office in the city of Koblenz.

Other recipients have included the Central Council of Jews, lawyers, journalists and politicians.

“For several months now a group has been sending threatening emails to authorities and institutions across Germany using different sender addresses, without a harmful event occurring,” Koblenz police said in a statement.

“The language in the emails is similar.”

Police have been investigating the emails since last summer, according to DPA.

The most recent emails prompted police to evacuate the main train station in Lübeck on Monday and Gelsenkirchen's tax office on Tuesday, Süddeutsche reported, but no bombs were found.

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CRIME

Germany and Sweden arrest eight over Syria crimes against humanity

Investigators in Germany and Sweden on Wednesday arrested eight suspects allied with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government over alleged participation in crimes against humanity in Syria, prosecutors in both countries said.

Published: 3 July 2024 11:55 CEST
Germany and Sweden arrest eight over Syria crimes against humanity

The suspects are accused of taking part in a “violent crackdown on a peaceful anti-government protest” in the Al-Yarmouk district in Damascus on July 13, 2012, Germany’s Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office said.

It said the four stateless Syrian Palestinians and Syrian national detained in Germany were “strongly suspected of killing and attempting to kill civilians, qualified as crimes against humanity and war crimes”.

It named the Syrian Palestinians as Jihad A., Mahmoud A., Sameer S. and Wael S. The Syrian national, identified as Mazhar J, is believed to have worked for the Syrian military intelligence service.

“They and other accessories specifically targeted the civilian protesters, shooting at them”, resulting in six deaths and other serious injuries, the prosecutor said.

The war between Assad’s troops and armed opposition groups, including Islamic State, erupted after the government repressed peaceful pro-democracy protests in 2011.

It has killed more than half a million people, forced millions to flee their homes, and ravaged Syria’s economy and infrastructure.

Wednesday’s arrests took place as a result of work carried out by an investigation team named “Caesar” after a defector who worked as a photographer for Syrian military police.

In 2013 he smuggled more than 50,000 photographs out of Syria, many of them documenting the deaths of prisoners in detention centres or military hospitals.

‘Severe and repeated’ abuse

German prosecutors said that those arrested in Sweden belonged to a pro-government militia which also participated in the crimes on July 13, 2012.

Ulrika Bentelius Egelrud, the Swedish prosecutor in charge of the investigation, said the suspects were arrested thanks to “good cooperation with Germany, Eurojust and Europol”.

READ ALSO: EU plagued by hundreds of dangerous crime gangs: Europol report

German prosecutors say the four Syrian Palestinians also “physically abused civilians from Al Yarmouk severely and repeatedly” between mid-2012 and 2014, including at militia checkpoints on the outskirts of the district, inhabited predominantly by Palestinians.

Germany let in hundreds of thousands of Syrians during the 2015-16 refugee influx and has arrested several Syrians since on its soil over crimes committed in their country.

It has used the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows the prosecution of certain serious crimes — regardless of where they took place — to try Syrians over atrocities committed during the country’s civil war.

One of the most high profile cases to be brought to trial was that of a former Syrian colonel who was found guilty in January 2022 of crimes against humanity committed in Damascus.

Last month a Swedish court acquitted a Syrian former general of war crimes charges, saying prosecutors had not proved his involvement in the army’s “indiscriminate attacks”.

Former brigadier general Mohammed Hamo, 65, was one of the highest-ranking Syrian military officials to stand trial in Europe.

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