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A group of seven people accused of being the left-wing extremist organization the Antifa Ost network began their trial on Tuesday, facing charges for violent actions against rightwing extremists that earned them the moniker “Hammer Gang”.

International terrorist designation and prosecution case

Earlier this month, the US government classified Antifa Ost as a terrorist organization together with multiple additional European far-left and anarchist networks.

Authorities in Germany state the network was responsible for targeting locations in Germany and Hungary between 2018 and 2023. Among the incidents is the multiple attacks of a business proprietor in central Thuringia, whose venue reportedly served as a gathering spot for rightwing activists.

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

Trial details and cross-border allegations

Court proceedings involving seven defendants is scheduled to continue until July 2026 in the eastern city of Dresden. A pair of suspects, identified as Johann G and Paul M, are additionally accused for violent incidents in the Hungarian capital during early 2023, coinciding with an annual event called the “day of honor” that draws far-right participants from throughout the continent.

Separately, a different German individual, Maja T, is facing trial in Hungary for multiple charges of attempted assault against neo-Nazis in the lead-up to the identical event in 2023.

Regional context and organizational structure

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

Authorities characterize Johann G. as a senior figure within Antifa Ost, tasked with organizing violent acts and recruiting accomplices.

Alongside Paul M, he is alleged to have arranged training sessions where leftwing extremists trained in fighting methods and simulated violent actions. In storage facilities managed by the suspect, the group allegedly accumulated hammers, irritant sprays, disguises and mobile phones.

Previous convictions and global responses

A different activist previously active with the organization, Lina E., emerged as a symbolic figure within some far-left activist circles following her 2023 guilty verdict for targeting presumed far-right targets.

America's terrorist listing makes group members ineligible to enter the US, freezes any assets they could possess within the world’s largest economy and criminalizes providing material support to them.

Germany's far-right AfD party applauded the American move and called on the government in Berlin to follow suit. In contrast, the German foreign ministry merely commented it had “acknowledged” of the American classification.

“The danger posed by the [Antifa Ost] group has substantially diminished lately. Key leaders and most aggressive participants have already been convicted or remain detained.”

Interior ministry representative