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Seven individuals allegedly belonging to the German far-left militant group the Antifa Ost network went on trial on this week, accused for violent actions against far-right activists that resulted in the nickname “the hammer group”.

Global terrorist designation and legal charges

Recently, the United States designated Antifa Ost as a terrorist organization together with multiple additional left-wing extremist and anarchist networks.

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

Some suspects are said to have using hammers against presumed rightwing extremists, causing several with serious injuries.

Trial details and cross-border allegations

The trial involving six men and one woman is expected to run until July 2026 in the eastern city of Dresden, Germany. Two defendants, named as Johann G and Paul M, also face charges for violent incidents in Budapest during February 2023, coinciding with an yearly gathering called the “day of honor” that draws far-right participants from throughout the continent.

Separately, another German activist, Maja T., is currently on trial in Hungary for multiple charges of attempted assault against far-right activists in the lead-up to the same rally in that year.

Regional context and organizational structure

The former East Germany has long been a breeding ground for both right-wing extremist and anti-immigrant youth organizations, as well as the often militant anti-fascist networks that oppose them.

Prosecutors describe Johann G. as a senior figure within the organization, tasked with organizing violent acts and recruiting accomplices.

Together with Paul M, he is accused of organizing instruction courses where radical left activists trained in fighting methods and rehearsed attacks. In storage facilities managed by the suspect, the group allegedly accumulated hammers, pepper spray, disguises and communication devices.

Prior legal cases and international reactions

A different activist formerly involved with the organization, Lina E., became a symbolic figure within certain radical left communities following her conviction in 2023 for targeting presumed far-right targets.

The US designation makes group members barred from entering the US, freezes any assets they could possess within the world’s largest economy and makes it illegal offering assistance to them.

Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany applauded the US decision and called on the government in Berlin to take similar action. However, the country's diplomatic office merely commented it had “acknowledged” of the US designation.

“The threat posed by the [Antifa Ost] group has substantially diminished lately. The ringleaders and most aggressive participants have either received convictions or remain detained.”

Interior ministry representative