All nine men were charged with treason, membership of a terrorist group and attempted murder. Photo: Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images Europe
Nine people accused of being members of an armed group plotting to overthrow the German state appeared in court in Stuttgart on Monday. They face charges related to an attempt to replace the German Chancellor with an eccentric pseudo-aristocrat.
All nine were arrested. accused of treason, membership of a terrorist group and attempted murder in a bizarre coup attempt that was thwarted by German police in a series of raids in 2022.
The court in Stuttgart heard the men were members of the «military wing» supporting coup leader Henry XIII Prince Reuss, 72, a self-proclaimed German aristocrat.
When the trial began, German police hid the faces of the suspects from television cameras in courtroom, and they could be seen shaking their heads as the charges were read out.
One of the suspects has also been charged with attempted murder. he shot at police several times when he was arrested during a raid last March. All defendants were aged between 42 and 60.
The court in Stuttgart heard the men were members of the «military wing». supporting the coup leader Henry XIII, Prince of Reuss. Photo: THOMAS LOHNES/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
The hearing in Stuttgart took place under strict security measures, with bulletproof glass installed to protect judges and prosecutors.
The trial is the first of three trials in the so-called Reichsburger («citizens of the Reich») coup attempt by a group of radical eccentrics and conspiracy theorists who deny the legitimacy of the German state and want a return to rule under the Kaiser.< /p>
Mr. Reuss, or Henry XIII, would presumably have been installed as the new leader of Germany if the coup had succeeded, after which senior German officials, including Olaf Scholz, the country's chancellor, would have been tried by military tribunals and executed.
< p>Mr. Reuss is a conspiracy theorist, real estate developer and former sparkling wine maker who claims to be descended from the 12th-century Reuss dynasty.
The three trials make up one of the largest and most complex cases in German legal history, which is expected to take at least two years to resolve.
Mr Reuss is due to appear faces trial in Frankfurt in May along with eight other suspects believed to be the ringleaders, and a third trial in Munich is due to open in June.
Members of the Reichsburger believe that the German Empire, founded in 1871, and its Kaiser remain the legitimate ruling authority over Germany.
Total Three upcoming trials face charges against 26 suspects who prosecutors say were willing to die for their cause. Photo: BERN WEISSBROD/AFP
Prosecutors said the suspects also believe the modern German state is run by a «conspiratorial sect of pedophile elites» in league with an Illuminati-like secret society that runs other major powers such as Russia and the United States.
A total of 26 suspects, who prosecutors say were willing to die for their cause, will be charged in three upcoming trials. A 27th suspect has died.
German media reports say the trials will be extremely complex, with seven judges presiding over the Stuttgart case alone, which will involve reviewing 700 folders of evidence and involving more than 20 lawyers.
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