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Seven individuals accused of being the left-wing extremist organization the Antifa Ost network began their trial on this week, facing charges for attacks targeting rightwing extremists that resulted in the moniker “Hammer Gang”.

Global terror listing and legal charges

Recently, the US government classified the organization as a terrorist organization together with multiple additional left-wing extremist and anarchist groups.

German prosecutors state the group was behind attacks on locations in Germany and Hungary between 2018 and 2023. Included in the allegations is the multiple attacks of a restaurant owner in central Thuringia, whose venue was known as a meeting point for rightwing activists.

Some suspects are said to have using hammers against suspected far-right members, causing several severely injured.

Court proceedings and international connections

Court proceedings involving six men and one woman is scheduled to continue until July 2026 in the city of Dresden. Two defendants, named as Johann G and Paul M., also face charges for attacks in the Hungarian capital during early 2023, coinciding with an yearly gathering called the “day of honor” that attracts far-right participants from throughout the continent.

In a related case, a different German individual, Maja T., is facing trial in Hungary for multiple charges of attempted violent acts against far-right activists in the lead-up to the same rally in that year.

Historical background and organizational structure

The former East Germany has historically served as a hotbed for both far-right and anti-immigration youth organizations, as well as the frequently radical antifascist groups that counter them.

Prosecutors describe Johann G. as a senior figure within Antifa Ost, responsible for planning attacks and recruiting accomplices.

Alongside Paul M, he is alleged to have arranged instruction courses where radical left activists practised combat techniques and rehearsed attacks. At depots managed by the suspect, the group allegedly accumulated hammers, pepper spray, disguises and mobile phones.

Previous convictions and international reactions

A different activist previously active with the organization, Lina E, became a symbolic figure within certain radical left communities following her 2023 guilty verdict for targeting presumed far-right targets.

America's terrorist listing makes group members barred from entering the United States, freezes any assets they could possess within the American economy and makes it illegal offering assistance to them.

Germany's far-right AfD party welcomed the US decision and called on the German administration to follow suit. However, the country's diplomatic office merely commented it had “acknowledged” of the US designation.

“The danger from the [Antifa Ost] group has substantially diminished lately. Key leaders and particularly violent members have either received convictions or are in custody.”

Interior ministry spokesperson