Far-right AfD politician arrested for incitement – DW – 10/30/2023

German police on Monday arrested Daniel Halemba, a lawmaker from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, prosecutors said.

The 22-year-old, who was recently elected to the Bavarian state parliament, is being investigated for incitement and the use of symbols of unconstitutional organizations.

Prosecutors said he was taken into custody in the Stuttgart area on Monday morning after a warrant for his arrest was issued last week.

Halemba has admitted to being a member of a fraternity, “Burschenschaft Teutonia Prag zu Würzburg,” which was raided by authorities last month. Prosecutors said they suspected there could be symbols and objects associated with the Nazi Party on the group’s premises.

Four other members of the fraternity are also under investigation.

Under German law, it is illegal to display symbols of unconstitutional organizations, such as the Nazi swastika. 

Halemba rejects allegations

Halemba’s lawyer, Dubravko Mandic, has rejected the allegations, saying there was “no truth” to them.

The chairperson of the AfD parliamentary group in the Bavarian parliament, Katrin Ebner-Steiner, criticized his arrest, calling the prosecutor’s actions “an indictment” for democracy.

German members of parliament are usually granted immunity from prosecution. However, lawmakers are only covered from the start of the legislative period. Bavaria’s new state legislature is holding its first session on Monday afternoon.

Halemba is the youngest politician to be elected to the Bavarian parliament.

His party, the AfD, has seen its popularity surge in Germany amid concerns about migration and the economy. It came third in Bavaria’s elections on October 8, with 14.6% of the vote. Nationally, it is polling at around 20%.

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nm/rt (AP, dpa)