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The Thuringian AfD leader Björn Höcke is said to have used a banned slogan of the Sturmabteilung (SA). The trial against him begins today.
Halle an der Saale – Björn Höcke returns to the dock: The Thuringian has to face a second trial AfDChairman of the CDU/CSU will be held responsible for a Nazi slogan. He has so far denied the accusations. The trial begins at 9 a.m. this Monday (June 24) in the regional court in Halle an der Saale.
In December 2023, Höcke is said to have uttered the first two words of the slogan “Everything for Germany” as a speaker at an AfD event in Gera. He encouraged the audience to shout the third word of the slogan with gestures, according to the public prosecutor’s office. At that time, proceedings against Höcke were already pending because of the Nazi vocabulary.
AfD man Björn Höcke: First conviction not yet final
In mid-May, the court sentenced the AfD politician to a fine of 13,000 euros in a first trial because he had used the slogan “Everything for Germany” used by the paramilitary National Socialist Sturmabteilung (SA) at an AfD election campaign event in Merseburg.
The chamber headed by presiding judge Jan Stengel was convinced that Höcke knew that the SA slogan was banned. “You are an eloquent, intelligent man who knows what he is saying.” The verdict is not legally binding. Höcke’s defense attorneys have appealed. The politician has always stressed his innocence. He said he did not know the slogan, even as a trained history teacher.
Third trial against Björn Höcke (AfD) is scheduled for Mühlhausen
Höcke is also facing a third trial. The Mühlhausen Regional Court in Thuringia has admitted an indictment against Höcke on the charge of incitement to hatred. Specifically, it concerns a Post from Höcke on Telegram from 2022, which concerns a violent crime in Ludwigshafen and the alleged behavior of many immigrants. Trial dates have not yet been set.
After the trial began this Monday, a second day of proceedings is planned for Wednesday (June 26). The verdict could be announced then. If convicted, the 52-year-old faces a prison sentence of up to three years or a fine, according to the Halle Regional Court. (dpa/AFP/frs)
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