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A group of seven people accused of being the left-wing extremist organization the Antifa Ost network began their trial on Tuesday, facing charges for attacks targeting rightwing extremists that resulted in the moniker “Hammer Gang”.

International terror listing and legal charges

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 state the network was behind attacks on locations in the country and Hungary from 2018 through 2023. Among the incidents is the multiple attacks of a restaurant owner in 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

Court proceedings involving seven defendants is scheduled to continue until mid-2026 in the city of Dresden, Germany. Two defendants, identified as Johann G and Paul M., also face charges for violent incidents in Budapest during early 2023, around an yearly gathering called the “day of honor” that draws rightwing extremists from throughout the continent.

Separately, a different German individual, Maja T., is currently on trial in Hungary for multiple charges of attempted violent acts against neo-Nazis in the lead-up to the identical event in 2023.

Regional context and organizational structure

Eastern Germany has long been a hotbed for both right-wing extremist and anti-immigrant youth organizations, as well as the frequently radical anti-fascist networks that counter them.

Prosecutors describe Johann G as a senior figure within Antifa Ost, tasked with planning attacks and recruiting accomplices.

Alongside Paul M, he is accused of organizing instruction courses where radical left activists trained in fighting methods and rehearsed attacks. At depots managed by Paul M, the network allegedly accumulated tools, irritant sprays, disguises and communication devices.

Prior legal cases and international reactions

Another militant previously active with the organization, Lina E., emerged as a symbolic figure within some far-left activist circles following her conviction in 2023 for attacks on suspected right-wing individuals.

The US designation renders organization affiliates ineligible to enter the US, blocks financial holdings they may have within the world’s largest economy and criminalizes providing material support to them.

The German right-wing AfD party welcomed the American move and called on the German administration to take similar action. However, the country's diplomatic office merely commented it had “acknowledged” of the US designation.

“The threat posed by the organization has recently decreased significantly. Key leaders and most aggressive participants have received convictions or remain detained.”

Government representative