Six years in prison for German right-wing extremist Benko’s Signa Group files for bankruptcy – the most important things at a glance

After more than 170 days of negotiations, the Stuttgart High Court sentenced the leader of a right-wing extremist German terrorist group to several years in prison on Thursday.

Werner S., after whom the “Group S.” also called, must go to prison for six years because the court was convinced that he had founded a terrorist group.

In its plea, the German federal prosecutor’s office had demanded a prison sentence of seven years, while the defense had argued for acquittal. In addition to S., ten other members or supporters of the group were charged. They were also sentenced to several years in prison, some of which were suspended. One defendant was acquitted.

The representative of the Federal Prosecutor’s Office said in court that members of the group feared that refugees would take over the Federal Republic of Germany and wanted to fight against that. The men are accused of setting up a terrorist cell. They wanted to provoke a civil war in Germany with attacks on mosques. However, a lawyer called the group a “collection of busybodies with slogans.”

Due to its size and the corona pandemic, the highly secure procedure was postponed. One of the suspects had already died in custody before charges were filed. One of the defendants from Bavaria died unexpectedly during the trial. According to the Oberlandesgericht, the man collapsed dead shortly in front of his apartment on the way home from a trial in the high-security wing of Stammheim. (saw/sda/dpa)