Germany: Court jails far-right youth terror cell members
A Hamburg court has handed down stiff prison sentences to members of the far-right terrorist group "Last Wave of Defense." Politicians are warning that those drawn into extremist violence are getting younger.
In Germany, a court sentenced seven members and a supporter of the far-right youth terror cell, Last Wave of Defense, to prison terms ranging from one and a half to five years. The group members, aged between 14 and 21 at the time of the crimes, were found guilty of attempting to bring down Germany's political system through attacks on migrants and political opponents.
The judge condemned the group's racist and violent mindset, stating, "We are the wave that washes the filth out of our country." The youngest defendant received a suspended sentence of one and a half years in prison. The group carried out an arson attack on a community cultural center in Altdöbern, Brandenburg, in October 2024, resulting in property damage worth several hundred thousand euros.
Two members also attempted to burn down refugee accommodation in Schmölln, Thuringia, in January 2025, and spray-painted swastikas and slogans on the facility. Authorities believe the group mistakenly targeted the Altdöbern building, which they identified as a left-wing activist meeting place. Brandenburg's Interior Minister, Jan Redmann, expressed shock over the attack, describing it as an "absolute catastrophe" due to the cultural and community hub it represented.
Federal prosecutors have launched raids in eastern and western states as part of an operation targeting additional suspects. The Last Wave of Defense group is estimated to have a membership of several dozen across Germany.
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