Germany Arrests Three Men Over Far-Right Coup Plot

German police have arrested three men suspected of planning high treason and being members of a far-right terrorist organization tied to the extremist Reichsbürger movement. Prosecutors say the men took part in weapons training and plotted a violent overthrow of the German government, including a potential assault on parliament in April 2022.

Reichsbürger Movement Resurfaces in Security Spotlight

The men arrested are believed to be followers of the Reichsbürger (“Citizens of the Reich”), a conspiratorial group that rejects the legitimacy of modern Germany and aims to restore a monarchist-style government. The movement gained international attention in 2022 when Prince Heinrich XIII Reuss was named among alleged ringleaders of a foiled coup attempt.

The Munich prosecutor’s office stated that the recent arrests are linked to the same broader network, and the suspects were allegedly training with firearms in preparation for violent action against the democratic order.

Nationwide Raids and Treason Charges

Police raided eight locations in the German states of Bavaria, Saxony, and Thuringia early Thursday. Authorities believe the men were preparing attacks on state institutions and hoped to incite an armed uprising. Under German law, charges of high treason and forming a terrorist organization carry severe prison sentences.

The arrests mark the latest escalation in Germany’s crackdown on far-right extremism, which has surged in recent years amid broader political polarization and conspiracy-driven radicalization.