Nine suspects of far-right neo-Nazi group detained in Germany

Ten apartments were searched and nine suspects detained in operations against supporters of the far-right extremist Third Way party in eastern Germany, police and the Berlin Public Prosecutor’s Office said on Thursday.

The suspects, aged between 17 and 21, would belong to the so-called National Revolutionary Youth (NRJ), the youth arm of Terceira Via.

The attacks took place in the states of Berlin, Brandenburg and Saxony. Around 130 police officers were involved.

The operations are linked to an attack on several people on July 6 at Berlin’s Ostkreuz suburban railway station. When two federal police officers intervened, they were also attacked, authorities said.

Several people were injured and had to be treated after the Ostkreuz attack. The initially unidentified suspects were later identified, authorities said in a statement.

Additionally, the suspects are accused of involvement in a robbery that occurred in January. In this case, a 20-year-old man was allegedly attacked and robbed for political reasons.

Mobile devices, digital storage media, clothing, a vehicle and dangerous items such as blank weapons, impact tools, gloves and electrical stun weapons were seized during the operations. Propaganda material was also found.

Formal arrest warrants should not be requested, a spokesman for the Berlin Public Prosecutor’s Office said when asked. Instead, the nine suspects would be released after police measures were completed.

The investigations are being conducted by the State Security Police, responsible for political crimes.

The police union has raised concerns about young people being exposed to and influenced by right-wing extremist ideas through social media and internet platforms.

Stephan Weh, regional head of the police union, emphasized the need for greater accountability among platform operators.

According to the constitutional protection report, members of groups such as Terceira Via and NRJ were involved in “verbal and physical clashes with political opponents” in 2023.

These groups reportedly prepared themselves through martial arts training and networking with other right-wing extremists. They also organized patrols in Berlin’s parks and approached young people near schools.

Founded in 2013, the Third Way political party is known for its nationalist, anti-immigrant and anti-Semitic ideologies and is widely described as neo-Nazi.