An alleged leader of the Antifa terrorist group Hammer Gang was arrested in Germany on Friday on charges of planning and carrying out targeted attacks against right-wing activists in Europe.
Johann Gunthermann, 31, the alleged leader of Leipzig's notorious Hammer Gang, was captured by German police on a train near Weimar after years of successfully evading authorities. was captured by a task force.
Guntermann, described as Germany's most dangerous left-wing terrorist, appeared before a judge at the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe on Saturday morning. built newspaper report.
According to a top German tabloid, the Antifa East extremist had tattoos of “HATE” on his right hand and “COPS” on his left.
Guntermann was previously engaged to convicted far-left Hammer Gang extremist Lina E., but an arrest warrant has been issued for him since March 2021 and he has since been fired. A bounty of 10,000 euros was on offer. It is currently unclear whether one of his left-wing allies betrayed him for money.
The 31-year-old extremist is accused of planning and carrying out attacks on various right-wing groups in Europe, possibly including neo-Nazi groups. As the name of the Antifa group suggests, attacks were usually carried out with hammers and batons.
After his arrest, German Interior Minister Nancy Feser said, “No one can feel safe underground.”
Investigators from the Saxon State Criminal Police Office said they were “fairly certain” that Guntermann was involved in the hammer attack on a “neo-Nazi” group in Budapest on February 11, 2023.
Another Italian schoolteacher and “anti-fascist” activist who allegedly took part in the attack, Ilaria Salis, was elected to the European Parliament in June and returned to Hungary earlier this year after being granted legal immunity. He was released from house arrest.
In October, members of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party officially announced requested The European Parliament has called for her immunity to be revoked so she can stand trial after she was found guilty of three counts of assault, which she denies.
European Parliament President Roberta Mezzola said Hungary's request would be considered by the parliament's legal affairs committee.
