In Germany, nine men will stand trial on charges of treason, attempted murder, and plotting a violent coup d'état.
The trial of the Reichsbürgers for preparing a coup d'état
The men planned to install a German aristocrat as leader and introduce martial law.
A courtroom hearing in Stuttgart on April 29 begins the three trials of 27 people accused of a plot that authorities foiled in late 2022.
These trials constitute one of the most significant legal proceedings in German history.
Today's trial is about nine suspects, members of the Reichsbürger group, who allegedly aimed to impose strict martial law on Germany after the coup d'état.
The group's political leadership on trial, led by Heinrich XIII Royce — a scion of a dynasty that no longer has a throne — will go on trial in Frankfurt next month. In contrast, another group of suspects, including an astrologer, will go on trial in Munich in June.
Prosecutors say the suspects' careful planning and stockpiles of firearms and money indicate a real danger.
They planned to infiltrate the parliament building in Berlin with an armed group, detain the legislators and destroy the system. They understood that seizing power would mean killing people, prosecutors say.
One of those on trial on April 29, identified in court documents as Marcus L., shot and seriously wounded a police officer while resisting arrest.
Who are the Reichsbürgers?
Reichsbürgers [meaning "State citizens" in German—Ed.] tend to believe they are citizens of the former Germany—usually the pre-World War I German Reich—that was usurped by today's Federal Republic.
The country's domestic intelligence service says the Reichsbuergers group numbers about 21,000. They do not recognise modern Germany as a legitimate state and first came under surveillance in 2016.
They base their beliefs on the idea that a foreign "Alliance," including the United States and Russia, is ready to help them overthrow the illegal "Deep State" that has ruled Germany since World War II.
The Reichsburgers have parallels and are partly inspired by similar QAnon movements in Britain and the US, where Deep State theories helped fuel the January 6, 2021, storming of the Capitol in Washington.
