Five charged over second alleged far-right plot against German government – By AFP (The Guardian) / Jan 23, 2023
Four men and a woman accused of planning to abduct health minister and overthrow government
Five Germans have been charged with treason over an alleged far-right plot to overthrow the government that included plans to abduct the health minister, prosecutors have announced.
The four men and a woman were arrested in recent months over the plot, with the health minister, Karl Lauterbach – unpopular among far-right groups because of anti-Covid measures – confirming he was targeted.
They were charged on 16 January and face counts ranging from founding a domestic terrorist group to preparing a treasonous act and violating weapons laws, the federal prosecutor’s office said on Monday.
The group aimed to “trigger civil war-like conditions in Germany by means of violence … to cause the overthrow of the government and parliamentary democracy”, the prosecutors said in a statement.
