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A group of seven people allegedly belonging to the left-wing extremist organization Antifa Ost went on trial on Tuesday, accused for attacks targeting rightwing extremists that earned them the nickname “Hammer Gang”.

International terrorist designation and prosecution case

Earlier this month, the US government designated Antifa Ost as a terrorist group along with multiple additional left-wing extremist and anarchist networks.

Authorities in Germany claim the network was responsible for targeting locations in Germany and neighboring Hungary between 2018 and 2023. Included in the allegations is the repeated targeting of a business proprietor in central Thuringia, whose establishment was known as a gathering spot for far-right supporters.

Certain individuals are said to have using hammers against suspected far-right members, causing several severely injured.

Trial details and international connections

Court proceedings involving six men and one woman is expected to run until July 2026 in the eastern city of Dresden, Germany. A pair of suspects, identified as Johann G and Paul M, are additionally accused for violent incidents in Budapest during February 2023, coinciding with an yearly gathering known as the “day of honour” that draws far-right participants from throughout the continent.

In a related case, another German activist, Maja T, is currently on trial in the Hungarian judicial system for four counts of attempted violent acts against neo-Nazis in the lead-up to the identical event in that year.

Regional context and organizational structure

The former East Germany has historically served as a hotbed for both right-wing extremist and anti-immigrant youth groups, as well as the frequently radical antifascist groups that counter them.

Prosecutors describe Johann G. as a high-ranking member within the organization, responsible for organizing violent acts and bringing in new members.

Together with Paul M., he is accused of organizing training sessions where radical left activists trained in fighting methods and simulated violent actions. In storage facilities managed by the suspect, the group reportedly stockpiled hammers, irritant sprays, concealment items and mobile phones.

Prior legal cases and international reactions

Another militant previously active with the group, Lina E., emerged as a symbolic figure within certain radical left communities following her 2023 guilty verdict for targeting presumed far-right targets.

The US designation makes group members barred from entering the US, freezes any assets they could possess within the world’s largest economy and criminalizes offering assistance to them.

Germany's far-right AfD party applauded the American move and urged the government in Berlin to take similar action. However, the country's diplomatic office merely commented it had “acknowledged” of the US designation.

“The threat posed by the [Antifa Ost] group has recently decreased significantly. Key leaders and particularly violent members have either received convictions or remain detained.”

Interior ministry spokesperson