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A group of seven people accused of being the left-wing extremist organization Antifa Ost went on trial on Tuesday, accused for attacks targeting far-right activists that earned them the moniker “the hammer group”.

International terror listing and legal charges

Earlier this month, the US government designated the organization as a terrorist organization along with several other left-wing extremist and anarchist networks.

German prosecutors state the group was responsible for attacks on locations in the country and Hungary from 2018 through 2023. Among the incidents is the repeated targeting of a business proprietor in central Thuringia, whose venue reportedly served as a meeting point for rightwing activists.

Some suspects are said to have using hammers against presumed rightwing extremists, causing several severely injured.

Trial details and cross-border allegations

Court proceedings involving seven defendants is scheduled to continue until mid-2026 in the city of Dresden. A pair of suspects, named as Johann G and Paul M., also face charges for attacks in the Hungarian capital during early 2023, around an yearly gathering called the “day of honour” that draws far-right participants from across Europe.

Separately, another German activist, Maja T, is currently on trial in the Hungarian judicial system for four counts of attempted violent acts against neo-Nazis prior to the same rally in 2023.

Historical background and group hierarchy

The former East Germany has historically served as a breeding ground for both far-right and anti-immigrant youth groups, as well as the often militant antifascist groups that oppose them.

Prosecutors describe Johann G. as a high-ranking member within the organization, tasked with planning attacks and recruiting accomplices.

Together with Paul M, he is alleged to have arranged training sessions where radical left activists practised combat techniques and rehearsed attacks. At depots overseen by Paul M, the group allegedly accumulated hammers, irritant sprays, concealment items and mobile phones.

Prior legal cases and international reactions

A different activist previously active with the organization, Lina E., emerged as a symbolic figure within certain radical left communities following her 2023 guilty verdict for attacks on presumed far-right targets.

America's terrorist listing renders organization affiliates barred from entering the United States, freezes any assets they could possess within the American economy and makes it illegal offering assistance to them.

Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany applauded the American move and called on the government in Berlin to take similar action. In contrast, the country's diplomatic office simply stated it had “acknowledged” of the American classification.

“The threat posed by the organization has substantially diminished lately. The ringleaders and particularly violent members have either already been convicted or remain detained.”

Interior ministry spokesperson