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Seven individuals allegedly belonging to the left-wing extremist organization Antifa Ost went on trial on this week, facing charges for attacks targeting far-right activists that earned them the nickname “Hammer Gang”.

Global terror listing and prosecution case

Earlier this month, the United States designated the organization as a terrorist group together with multiple additional European far-left and anarchist groups.

Authorities in Germany claim the group was responsible for targeting sites in Germany and neighboring 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.

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

Court proceedings and cross-border allegations

The trial involving seven defendants is expected to run until mid-2026 in the city of Dresden. Two defendants, named as Johann G. and Paul M., are additionally accused for violent incidents in Budapest during February 2023, coinciding with an yearly gathering called the “day of honour” that draws rightwing extremists from across Europe.

Separately, a different German individual, Maja T., is currently on trial in Hungary for multiple charges of attempted violent acts against neo-Nazis prior to the identical event in that year.

Regional context and group hierarchy

Eastern Germany has long been a hotbed for both far-right and anti-immigrant youth organizations, as well as the often militant antifascist groups that counter them.

Authorities characterize Johann G as a high-ranking member within Antifa Ost, tasked with organizing violent acts and recruiting accomplices.

Alongside Paul M, he is accused of organizing instruction courses where leftwing extremists trained in fighting methods and simulated violent actions. At depots overseen by Paul M, the group allegedly accumulated tools, pepper spray, disguises and communication devices.

Previous convictions and international reactions

A different activist formerly involved with the group, Lina E., became a cause celebre within certain radical left communities following her conviction in 2023 for targeting presumed far-right targets.

The US designation makes group members ineligible to enter the United States, blocks financial holdings they could possess within the world’s largest economy and criminalizes offering assistance to them.

Germany's far-right AfD party welcomed the American move and called on the government in Berlin to take similar action. However, the German foreign ministry merely commented it had “taken note” of the US designation.

“The threat posed by the organization has substantially diminished lately. Key leaders and particularly violent members have already been convicted or are in custody.”

Government representative