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Seven individuals allegedly belonging to the left-wing extremist organization Antifa Ost began their trial on Tuesday, facing charges for violent actions against rightwing extremists that earned them the nickname “the hammer group”.

Global terror listing and prosecution case

Recently, the United States classified Antifa Ost as a terrorist organization along with multiple additional European far-left and anarchist groups.

Authorities in Germany state the network was behind attacks on sites in the country and Hungary from 2018 through 2023. Included in the allegations is the repeated targeting of a business proprietor in Thuringia, whose establishment was known as a meeting point for far-right supporters.

Some suspects are said to have employing hammers against presumed rightwing extremists, causing several severely injured.

Court proceedings and cross-border allegations

The trial involving six men and one woman is scheduled to continue until mid-2026 in the eastern city of Dresden. Two defendants, named as Johann G and Paul M., are additionally accused for violent incidents in Budapest during early 2023, coinciding with an annual event called the “day of honour” that draws far-right participants from across Europe.

In a related case, a different German individual, Maja T, is facing trial in Hungary for four counts of attempted violent acts against neo-Nazis prior to the identical event in that year.

Historical background and group hierarchy

The former East Germany has historically served as a breeding ground for both far-right and anti-immigration youth groups, as well as the often militant anti-fascist networks that counter them.

Prosecutors describe Johann G. as a high-ranking member within the organization, tasked with planning attacks and recruiting accomplices.

Together with Paul M, he is alleged to have arranged instruction courses where radical left activists trained in fighting methods and simulated violent actions. At depots overseen by the suspect, the network allegedly accumulated tools, irritant sprays, concealment items and mobile phones.

Previous convictions and international reactions

Another militant formerly involved with the group, Lina E, became a symbolic figure within some far-left activist circles following her conviction in 2023 for targeting presumed far-right targets.

The US designation makes group members ineligible to enter the United States, blocks financial holdings they could possess within the world’s largest economy and criminalizes offering assistance to them.

The German right-wing AfD party welcomed the US decision and urged the government in Berlin to follow suit. In contrast, the German foreign ministry simply stated it had “acknowledged” of the American classification.

“The threat from the organization has recently decreased significantly. The ringleaders and most aggressive participants have either already been convicted or remain detained.”

Interior ministry spokesperson