Hamburg, June 6, 2026 – The trial against eight, partly still juvenile, neo-Nazis accused of forming, being members of, or supporting a terrorist organization, known as the “Letzte Verteidigungswelle” (Last Wave of Defense), has commenced at the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court in Hamburg. The start of proceedings was delayed by approximately half an hour due to extensive security checks at the courthouse entrance. The defendants face serious charges, including attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and dangerous bodily harm. The court is conducting the trial under juvenile criminal law, as several defendants were minors at the time of the alleged offenses.
Arson Attacks and Violence Against Political Opponents
Stefan Biehl, Senior Public Prosecutor at the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) and representative of the Attorney General, addressed media representatives in the entrance hall of the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court. According to the Federal Prosecutor’s Office, the group allegedly planned and, in some cases, carried out arson and explosive attacks on asylum seeker accommodations and left-wing institutions. The alleged terrorist group’s goal was to overthrow the democratic system of the Federal Republic of Germany through violence against migrants and political opponents. The defendants hail from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Brandenburg, Thuringia, Saxony, and Hesse. Despite the alleged acts being planned in Brandenburg and Thuringia, and none of the defendants being from Hamburg, the Higher Regional Court in Hamburg is responsible. This is due to a state protection agreement between the northern German federal states, where Hamburg centrally handles all terror trials in the North, requiring specially trained judges and particularly secured courtrooms.
Radicalization via Social Media
According to investigators, the group initially formed as a chat group in 2024. A then 14-year-old from Neubukow is believed to have founded the chat under the name “Letzte Verteidigungswelle.” Former members reported that several hundred messages were exchanged daily, many containing right-wing extremist propaganda. The group reportedly had so-called “Gauleiters” and “Propaganda Ministers,” and the emblem of the alleged organization, according to the indictment, resembled the Waffen-SS. Christian Pegel (SPD), Mecklenburg-Vorpommern’s Minister of the Interior, sees social media as a central factor in radicalization. He stated that the group was able to connect across long distances, and individuals who had never met in person developed and, in some cases, implemented shared right-wing extremist ideas there.
The youngest defendant was only 13 when he joined the group. Several defendants are in the courtroom with their parents. One of them stood out: when television cameras were briefly allowed into the courtroom at the start, he held a quick-release folder in front of his face, on which the word “Drecksstaat” (filthy state) and an insult to the police were handwritten.
Arson Attack on Cultural Center Part of the Indictment
Part of the accusations relates to an arson attack on a cultural center in Altdöbern, Brandenburg, in 2024. The building was set on fire while a family with a child slept in a part of the house. Two defendants are therefore charged with attempted murder, and another defendant is charged with aiding and abetting. Investigations suggest that individual members of the group allegedly motivated others to commit attacks through chat messages.
Defendants Face Up to 15 Years in Prison
Some of the accused were arrested in May 2025 during large-scale raids in several federal states. All but one defendant remain in pre-trial detention. If convictions occur, some defendants face severe penalties despite being tried under juvenile criminal law. Minors could be sentenced to up to ten years in prison due to the seriousness of the charges. For young adults, sentences of up to 15 years are possible. The court has initially scheduled several hearing days until May 2026.
Approximately 20 spectators and around 30 reporters followed the start of the trial at the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court. The public was excluded from the proceedings after the indictment was read.
“Letzte Verteidigungswelle” in the State Parliament’s Interior Committee
The alleged right-wing extremist terrorist group “Letzte Verteidigungswelle” is also occupying the Interior Committee of the State Parliament.
Source: NDR.de
