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WORLD NEWS Thursday 8 december 2022
Suspected German coup plot spawns dozens of

arrests

By FRANK JORDANS
Associated Press
BERLIN (AP) — German po-
lice seized dozens of peo-
ple including a self-styled
prince, a retired para-
trooper and a former judge
on Wednesday, accusing
the suspects of discussing
the violent overthrow of
the government but leav-
ing unclear how concrete
the plans were.
A German official and a
lawmaker said that investi-
gators may have detected
real plotting, drunken fan-
tasizing, or both. Regard-
less, Germany takes any
right-wing threat seriously
and thousands of police
officers carried out pre-
dawn raids across much of
the country. Masked police officers lead Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss, center, to a police vehicle during a raid
“We’re talking about a against so-called ‘Reich citizens’ in Frankfurt, Germany, Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022.
group that, according Associated Press
to what we know so far,
planned to violently abol- The Reich Citizens scene curity services due to its ties in the Austrian town of Kitz-
ish our democratic state has been under observa- with extremists. buehel and another in Italy.
of law and an armed at- tion by Germany’s domes- AfD’s co-leaders, Tino Chru- The latter suspect, a
tack,” on the German par- tic intelligence agency palla and Alice Weidel said 64-year-old German citizen
liament building, govern- since 2016. Authorities they had only learned of who is a former officer in the
ment spokesman Steffen estimate that the loose- the alleged coup plans German army special forc-
Hebestreit said. knit movement has about through the media, and es, is accused of being part
Sara Nanni, a lawmak- 21,000 adherents. condemned them. of a criminal organization
er with the Green party, Prosecutors said the sus- “We have full confidence that aimed to “subvert the
part of the German gov- pects also believe Germa- in the authorities involved German democratic order
ernment, suggested the ny is ruled by a so-called and demand a swift and by any means - including
group may not have been “deep state.” comprehensive investiga- criminal - and replace it
capable. One of the alleged ring- tion,” they said in a state- with another unidentified
“More details keep com- leaders arrested Wednes- ment. form of state,” police said
ing to light that raise day is Heinrich XIII Prince Chief federal prosecutor in a statement, adding that
doubts about whether Reuss, a 71-year-old mem- Peter Frank said some 3,000 extradition proceedings
these people were even ber of the House of Reuss officers were involved in were underway.
clever enough to plan and who continues to use the the raids conducted at 150 “Of course, there are many
carry out such a coup,” title despite Germany abol- sites in 11 of Germany’s 16 people who grandstand
Nanni said in a post on the ishing any formal role for states. and tell confused tales sto-
social network Mastodon. royalty more than a cen- Officers detained 22 Ger- ries after drinking alcohol,”
“The fact is: no matter how tury ago. man citizens on suspicion of German Justice Minister
crude their ideas are and Federal prosecutors said “membership in a terrorist Marco Buschmann said. “In
how hopeless their plans, Reuss, whom the group organization,” prosecutors this case, however, there
even the attempt is dan- planned to install as Ger- said. Three other people, were such strong suspicions
gerous!” many’s new leader, had including a Russian citizen, that the group wanted to
Federal prosecutors said contacted Russian officials were held on suspicion of take violent action that
the group is alleged to with the aim of imposing supporting the organiza- the investigating judge at
have believed in a “con- a new order in the coun- tion, they said. Another 27 the Federal Supreme Court
glomerate of conspiracy try once the German gov- people were under investi- ordered the investigative
theories consisting of nar- ernment was overthrown. gation. measures to be taken.”
ratives from the so-called There is no indication that One of those arrested was Some of the group’s mem-
Reich Citizens as well as the Russians responded a soldier serving on the bers had made “concrete
QAnon ideology. positively. support staff for Germany’s preparations” to storm Ger-
“ Adherents of the Reich Police also detained Birgit special forces unit KSK in many’s federal parliament
Citizens movement reject Malsack-Winkemann, a the southwestern town of with a small armed group,
Germany’s postwar con- judge and former lawmak- Calw. The unit has received according to prosecutors.
stitution and have called er with the far-right Alterna- scrutiny over what officials Wednesday’s raids showed
for bringing down the gov- tive for Germany party. called some soldiers’ far- that “we know how to de-
ernment, while QAnon is a Alternative for Germany, right beliefs. fend ourselves with full force
global conspiracy theory which is known by its acro- Along with detentions in against the enemies of de-
with roots in the United nym AfD, has increasingly Germany, prosecutors said mocracy,” Interior Minister
States. come under scrutiny by se- one person was detained Nancy Faeser said.q