German authorities have charged 27 people with crimes including terrorism, treason and attempted murder for their alleged involvement in last year’s plot to overthrow the government, revealing new details of their links to Russia.
The charges contain accusations of several meetings between plotters and Russian government officials in 2022 and their intent to involve Moscow in establishing Germany’s new rule.
“The accused belonged to a terrorist organisation founded at the end of July 2021 whose goal was to violently eliminate the existing state order in Germany and replace it with its own form of government,” the prosecutor said in a statement on Tuesday.
All of the accused belonged to the extremist Reichsbürger movement — an eclectic grouping of conspiracists, racial ideologues and fantasists who reject the legitimacy of the modern democratic state and embrace ideas such as monarchy and pan-German nationalism.
Led by Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss, scion of an aristocratic dynasty that ruled the east German province of Thuringia for 800 years, the 27 are accused of amassing considerable financial resources and stores of weapons to carry out a coup against the democratically elected government in Berlin.
The putsch was centred on an operation to storm the parliament building in Berlin, the Reichstag, in order to arrest parliamentarians, seize control of military radio and trigger a general insurrection across Germany, according to three indictments by the federal prosecutor filed in Frankfurt, Munich and Stuttgart.
After deposing the federal government, the plotters intended to contact the Russian government to negotiate a new order for Germany. A number of meetings were held and attempted between members of the group and Russian officials at diplomatic premises in Germany and at least one undisclosed location in Slovakia the indictments claim.
After deposing the federal government, the plotters intended to contact the Russian government to negotiate a new order for Germany. Two meetings were held and two more were planned between members of the group and Russian officials at consulates in Leipzig and Frankfurt, the indictments claim.
“How the Russian Federation responded . . . has not yet been clarified,” the federal prosecutor said.
A meeting with the Russian consul in Leipzig and the two plotters of the group in charge of weapons procurement was scheduled for December, but never went ahead because the plot was uncovered first.
A Russian woman is among those charged. She facilitated the meetings with Russian government officials, the indictment says.
The Russian government has denied any involvement.
The Reichsbürger movement’s “concrete preparations” included weapons training and the recruitment of sympathetic fighters around the country, grouped into tightly organised regional cells.
The organisation had already gained access to the Reichstag building. One of those charged is Birgit Malsack-Winkemann, a former MP for the hard- right Alternative für Deutschland party. She smuggled other conspirators into secure areas of the Reichstag so they could scope out the building and make attack plans.
The plot’s advanced nature triggered a huge police action last December.
More than 3,000 officers raided 150 premises across Germany, uncovering a stash of 380 firearms, 350 bladed weapons and 500 “other” weapons, as well as 148,000 rounds of ammunition intended for use in the plot.
Among those charged is a sharpshooter with “numerous” weapons and explosives permits. He shot and injured two police officers — one permanently — with an assault rifle when he was arrested.
Others include a member of the German military’s special forces command, who gave plotters access to military sites, and a lieutenant colonel, the former commander of a paratrooper battalion.
Of particular concern to investigators has been the extent to which the conspirators were able to successfully recruit current and former military officers and gain access to sensitive military sites.
German counter-terrorism officials estimate there to be roughly 25,000 people in Germany who are sympathetic to Reichsbürger ideas.
PART I: Translation Stage
德国当局指控27人犯有包括恐怖主义、叛国和企图谋杀在内的罪行，这些人涉嫌参与去年推翻政府的阴谋，同时揭露了他们与俄罗斯的新联系细节。
这些指控包含了2022年阴谋者与俄罗斯政府官员之间的几次会面，以及他们试图让莫斯科参与建立德国新政府的意图。
检察官在周二的声明中说：“被告属于一个成立于2021年7月底的恐怖组织，其目的是通过暴力消除德国现有的国家秩序，并用自己的政府形式取而代之。”
所有被告都属于极端的Reichsbürger运动——一个由阴谋论者、种族主义意识形态者和幻想家组成的杂合团体，他们拒绝接受现代民主国家的合法性，拥抱诸如君主制和泛日耳曼民族主义等观念。
由拥有800年统治东德图林根省贵族王朝血统的Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss领导的27人被指控积累了大量的财政资源和武器储备，以推翻柏林的民选政府。
政变计划围绕着一项突袭柏林国会大厦——Reichstag的行动，目的是逮捕议员，控制军用无线电，并在德国全境引发一场总起义，根据联邦检察官在法兰克福、慕尼黑和斯图加特提交的三份起诉书称。
在推翻联邦政府后，阴谋者打算联系俄罗斯政府，商谈德国的新秩序。起诉书称，该团体成员与俄罗斯官员在德国的外交场所以及至少一个斯洛伐克的未公开地点举行了多次会议和尝试。
在推翻联邦政府后，阴谋者打算联系俄罗斯政府，商谈德国的新秩序。起诉书称，该团体成员在莱比锡和法兰克福的领事馆与俄罗斯官员举行了两次会议，并计划了另外两次会议。
联邦检察官表示：“俄罗斯联邦如何回应……尚未得到澄清。”
一次在莱比锡的俄罗斯领事馆与该团体负责武器采购的两名阴谋者的会议原定于12月举行，但由于阴谋被提前揭露，该会议未能进行。
一名俄罗斯女性也在被指控之列。起诉书称，她协助与俄罗斯政府官员的会面。
俄罗斯政府否认了任何参与。
Reichsbürger运动的“具体准备”包括武器训练和在全国招募同情者战士，这些战士被组织成严密的区域细胞。
该组织已经获得了进入Reichstag大楼的通道。被指控的人之一是Birgit Malsack-Winkemann，她是极右翼“德国另类选择”党的前议员。她将其他阴谋者偷偷带入Reichstag的安全区域，以便他们能够侦察大楼并制定攻击计划。
这一阴谋的高级性质引发了去年12月的一次大规模警察行动。
超过3000名警官突袭了德国各地的150个地点，查获了380支枪械、350件刀具和500件“其他”武器，以及148,000发子弹，这些都是用于实施阴谋的。
被指控的人中包括一名拥有“众多”武器和爆炸物许可证的神射手。他在被捕时用突击步枪射伤了两名警察——一人永久性伤残。
其他被指控的人包括德国军队特种部队的一名成员，他为阴谋者提供了军事基地的通道，以及一名上校，他是伞兵营的前指挥官。
调查人员特别关注的是阴谋者能够成功招募现役和退役军官，并进入敏感军事基地的程度。
德国反恐官员估计，德国大约有25,000人对Reichsbürger的观念表示同情。
PART II: Challenging Words
Treason (叛国)
Extremist (极端分子)
Indictments (起诉书)
Diplomatic (外交的)
Insurrection (起义)
PART III: Multiple-Choice Exercise
What is the main accusation against the 27 people involved in the plot?
What kind of organisation did the accused belong to?
What was one of the key targets of the planned coup?
How many firearms were uncovered during the police raids?
What was Birgit Malsack-Winkemann’s role in the Reichstag?
PART IV: Answer and Explanation
B. Terrorism and treason The 27 people were charged with crimes including terrorism and treason for their alleged involvement in a plot to overthrow the government.
B. An extremist movement The accused belonged to the Reichsbürger movement, an extremist group that rejects the legitimacy of the modern democratic state.
A. The Reichstag building The coup was centred around an operation to storm the Reichstag building in Berlin.
C. About 380 More than 3,000 officers raided 150 premises across Germany, uncovering around 380 firearms.
B. A former MP Birgit Malsack-Winkemann, a former MP for the Alternative für Deutschland party, was involved in the plot and helped smuggle other conspirators into the Reichstag.
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