🔗 Share this article

Seven individuals allegedly belonging to the German far-left militant group the Antifa Ost network went on trial on Tuesday, accused for violent actions against rightwing extremists that earned them the nickname “Hammer Gang”.

International terror listing and prosecution case

Earlier this month, the United States designated Antifa Ost as a terrorist organization together with several other European far-left and anarchist networks.

Authorities in Germany state the network was responsible for attacks on locations in Germany and neighboring Hungary between 2018 and 2023. Included in the allegations is the repeated targeting of a restaurant owner in central Thuringia, whose venue reportedly served as a gathering spot for far-right supporters.

Certain individuals are allegedly accused of employing hammers against suspected far-right members, causing several severely injured.

Trial details and cross-border allegations

The trial involving seven defendants is scheduled to continue until July 2026 in the city of Dresden, Germany. A pair of suspects, named as Johann G and Paul M., are additionally accused for attacks in Budapest during February 2023, around an yearly gathering known as the “day of honor” that draws rightwing extremists from across Europe.

Separately, another German activist, Maja T., is currently on trial in Hungary for multiple charges of attempted violent acts against neo-Nazis prior to the same rally in that year.

Historical background and organizational structure

The former East Germany has historically served as a breeding ground for both far-right and anti-immigrant youth groups, as well as the often militant antifascist groups that counter them.

Prosecutors describe Johann G. as a senior figure within Antifa Ost, tasked with planning attacks and bringing in new members.

Alongside Paul M., he is alleged to have arranged instruction courses where leftwing extremists trained in fighting methods and simulated violent actions. In storage facilities managed by Paul M, the group allegedly accumulated hammers, pepper spray, concealment items and communication devices.

Prior legal cases and international reactions

Another militant formerly involved with the group, Lina E., became a symbolic figure within certain radical left communities following her 2023 guilty verdict for targeting suspected right-wing individuals.

The US designation makes group members ineligible to enter the US, freezes any assets they could possess within the American economy and criminalizes offering assistance to them.

Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany welcomed the American move and called on the German administration to take similar action. In contrast, the German foreign ministry merely commented it had “acknowledged” of the American classification.

“The danger from the [Antifa Ost] group has recently decreased significantly. The ringleaders and particularly violent members have either already been convicted or remain detained.”

Government spokesperson