Germany: Authorities must take 'urgent action' to tackle racism in their ranks

Twenty-five people arrested in raids across the country

Significant proportion of those arrested made up of active or former soldiers, including men with specialist military training

‘There needs to be a zero-tolerance policy towards racism and anti-human ideologies within the ranks of the state authorities’ - Beate Streicher

In response to today’s raids on the Reichsbürger scene and the investigations by the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office, Beate Streicher, Amnesty International Germany’s Police and Human Rights expert, said:

“Today’s arrests document the danger inherent in racist, anti-Semitic and other anti-human ideologies. What is particularly worrying here is that, according to media reports, a significant proportion of the group is made up of active or former soldiers, including men with specialist military training.

“In line with human rights legislation, the German state has a duty to protect all people from racist, anti-Semitic and other anti-human brutality. This duty to provide protection is being neglected to a catastrophic degree when active and former state employees who are trained in the use of weapons aim to put anti-human ideologies into practice.

“Urgent action is required. There needs to be a zero-tolerance policy towards racism and anti-human ideologies within the ranks of the state authorities.”