BEILIN: German lawmakers said Monday they are probing an alleged coup plot in detail, after police detained dozens of people linked to the far-right Reich Citizens movement last week.
The 24 Germans and one Russian who were detained last Wednesday are suspected of being supporters or members of a "terrorist organization" that intends to overthrow the government, according to prosecutors.
According to a briefing given to parliamentarians, the suspects intended to set up 280 armed units across Germany that would have been tasked with "arresting and executing" individuals after the coup. This information has been given by the German news agency DPA.
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The scope of his intentions against our liberal democracy, according to Konstantin von Notz, a Green Party MP, undoubtedly had plans.
After a meeting with federal prosecutors, he declared, "The evidence that has now been collected needs to be carefully reviewed." "However, based on what is currently known and what the Attorney General has already presented to the Legal Affairs Committee, these are significant and deeply troubling developments.
According to the dpa agency, prosecutors informed lawmakers that the alleged conspirators obtained "non-disclosure agreements" from a large number of individuals they attempted to recruit.
According to left-wing lawmaker Clara Buenger, who spoke to dpa, investigators reportedly found evidence of a vault containing more than 400,000 euros ($422,000) in cash, gold and silver coins, satellite phones and even gold bars.
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After a closed-door meeting of Parliament's Intelligence Oversight Committee, von Knotz told reporters that "many questions were answered, many are open."
He and other lawmakers drew parallels to the storming of the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021. Prosecutors claim some of those detained last week intended to enter the German parliament or Bundestag armed.
"We have seen repeatedly in recent years that the parliament building is a welcome target for far-right extremists, conspiracy theorists and their friends," said Konstantin Kuhle, a member of the Free Democratic Party.
"The Bundestag is the most visited parliament in the world," he said. "If we have to isolate ourselves then we cannot do our job as a deputation."
Kuhle warned that far-right extremists were rapidly establishing networks that spread to "the middle of society", including soldiers and police officers.
Among those detained was Birgit Malsack-Vinkmann, a judge and former lawmaker for Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
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Germany's Interior Minister Nancy Feiser has proposed tightening rules for civil servants suspected of supporting anti-government movements such as Reich Citizen.
Uli Groetsch, a member of Fazer's Social Democratic Party, said the alleged coup plots also demonstrated the importance of closely scrutinizing the AfD.