A German court on Wednesday set the first trial date for members of a suspected far-right “terror group” allegedly behind a plot to attack parliament and overthrow the government.
Nine members of the group will stand trial in Stuttgart on April 29, the court said in a statement.
In all, 26 people are accused of belonging to a nationwide extremist network allegedly led by Frankfurt aristocrat and businessman Prince Heinrich XIII Reuss, and one woman is accused of supporting the group.
Suspected ringleader Reuss will not be among those going on trial at the Stuttgart court.
Given the size of the organisation and the complexity of the alleged plot, regional courts in Frankfurt, Munich and Stuttgart will split the task of trying the suspects.
The nine men to appear at the Stuttgart hearings are accused of preparing a “treasonous undertaking” as part of the so-called Reichsbuerger (Citizens of the Reich) plot, the court said.
Two of the individuals were accused of owning arms and one of them, named only as Marcus L., faced charges of “attempted murder, grievous bodily harm, and resisting and assaulting law enforcement officers.”
Police swooped on the group in raids across Germany in December 2022 and the charges were brought at the end of last year.
The Reichsbuerger group had allegedly organised a “council” to take charge after their planned putsch, with officials warning preparations were at an advanced stage.
The Stuttgart court has initially scheduled hearings in the trial through the beginning of 2025.
The Reichsbuerger movement includes far-right extremists and gun enthusiasts who reject the legitimacy of the modern German republic.
Its followers generally believe in the continued existence of the pre-World War I German Reich, or empire, under a monarchy and several groups have declared their own states.
Long dismissed as malcontents and oddballs, the Reichsbuerger have become increasingly radicalised in recent years and are seen as a growing security threat.
