🔗 Share this article

Seven individuals allegedly belonging to the German far-left militant group Antifa Ost began their trial on Tuesday, facing charges for attacks targeting rightwing extremists that earned them the nickname “Hammer Gang”.

Global terrorist designation and legal charges

Earlier this month, the United States classified the organization as a terrorist group along with multiple additional left-wing extremist and anarchist groups.

Authorities in Germany state the group was behind attacks on locations in Germany and neighboring Hungary between 2018 and 2023. Included in the allegations is the repeated targeting of a business proprietor in central Thuringia, whose establishment reportedly served as a gathering spot for far-right supporters.

Some suspects are allegedly accused of using hammers against presumed rightwing extremists, causing several severely injured.

Trial details and cross-border allegations

Court proceedings involving six men and one woman is scheduled to continue until July 2026 in the city of Dresden. A pair of suspects, named as Johann G and Paul M, also face charges for attacks in Budapest during February 2023, around an yearly gathering called the “day of honour” that attracts rightwing extremists from throughout the continent.

In a related case, another German activist, Maja T., is currently on trial in Hungary for multiple charges of attempted violent acts against far-right activists prior to the identical event in that year.

Historical background and organizational structure

Eastern Germany has long been a breeding ground for both far-right and anti-immigrant youth organizations, as well as the often militant antifascist groups that counter them.

Prosecutors describe Johann G. as a senior figure within Antifa Ost, responsible for organizing violent acts and bringing in new members.

Together with Paul M., he is alleged to have arranged instruction courses where radical left activists practised combat techniques and simulated violent actions. In storage facilities managed by the suspect, the group allegedly accumulated tools, irritant sprays, concealment items and communication devices.

Previous convictions and international reactions

Another militant previously active with the organization, Lina E., emerged as 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 ineligible to enter the United States, blocks financial holdings they may have within the American economy and criminalizes providing material support to them.

Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany applauded the US decision and urged the government in Berlin to take similar action. In contrast, the German foreign ministry merely commented it had “taken note” of the American classification.

“The threat from the organization has recently decreased significantly. The ringleaders and most aggressive participants have either received convictions or are in custody.”

Interior ministry representative