RT.com
07 Dec 2022, 17:43 GMT+10
Authorities have detained 25 people, including ex-police and military personnel, who allegedly wanted to reinstate a monarchy
SWAT deployments, more than 130 searches and a total of 25 arrests have been carried out in Germany and several neighboring countries in what the media is calling one of the largest counter-terrorist operations in the nation's history.
The suspects include former members of the military and police force, as well as a Russian national. They are believed to have conspired to depose the current government by force, and reinstate a regime modeled on the German Reich of 1871.
In the early hours of Wednesday, some 3,000 German police officers stormed apartments located in 11 of the country's regions, authorities revealed.
The group members are said to be adherents of the QAnon ideology, who believe Germany is currently being controlled by the 'deep state'.
Having started their preparations for a coup back in November 2021, the suspects formed a 'military wing,' and were actively attempting to recruit military personnel currently serving in the Bundeswehr.
Apart from storming the country's parliament, the Bundestag, and taking lawmakers hostage, the suspects also supposedly intended to target Germany's energy infrastructure in the hope of triggering civil-war-like clashes.
The conspirators also allegedly formed a shadow cabinet, planning to put a nobleman from Frankfurt, Prinz Heinrich XIII, at the helm for an interim period following the coup.
Birgit Malsack-Winkemann, a former MP for the right-wing Alternative for Germany party, was among those arrested and also had her property searched, ZDF media outlet reported.
Among the suspects is a Russian national identified as Vitalia B. She allegedly helped the would-be ruler to establish contacts with Russia, though apparently to little avail. As Germany's federal prosecutor's office noted, "According to the investigations [conducted] so far, there are no clues [suggesting] that their contact partner reacted positively to their request."
Meanwhile, Russia's embassy in Berlin told the media that it had not been notified by German authorities that a Russian national had been detained. The diplomats added that they would send an inquiry to the German prosecutor's office, saying they are ready to provide all necessary assistance to the woman.
Commenting on the raids, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that officials in Moscow had learned about the situation from the media, describing it as Germany's "internal problem."
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Dublin News news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Dublin News.
More InformationNEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks were weaker Wednesday, following Tuesday's heady gains when the Dow Jones jumped 741 points. Bond...
SAO PAULO, Brazil: Amid a surge in electric vehicle (EV) adoption and growing competition in Brazil, Chinese automaker GAC has officially...
CHICAGO, Illinois: McDonald's is closing its experimental beverage spinoff, CosMc's, less than two years after launching the standalone...
BEIJING, China: China's Lenovo reported a steep 64 percent drop in fourth-quarter profit, falling significantly short of analyst expectations...
NEW YORK, New York - Strong economic data jump-started U.S. stocks and the dollar Tuesday, a welcome reprieve after weeks of pressure...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: This week, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) dropped its lawsuit against PepsiCo, which had accused...
DUBLIN, Ireland: The head of Ireland's Health Service Executive (HSE), Bernard Gloster, has said he is very concerned about claims...
ZERMATT, Switzerland: Five skiers were found dead on a mountain in Switzerland near the popular ski resort of Zermatt, officials said...
BRUSSELS, Belgium: European Union antitrust regulators are examining fees imposed by payment giants Visa and Mastercard, Bloomberg...
DUBLIN, Ireland: Nearly 500 children who had hip surgery at two Dublin hospitals between 2021 and 2023 may need to be recalled for...
BRUSSELS, Belgium: U.S. drugmakers are charging significantly more for new treatments, particularly those targeting rare diseases,...
Kiev has stepped up attacks on the Russian capital in recent weeks A Ukrainian drone...