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A group of seven people accused of being the German far-left militant group the Antifa Ost network began their trial on Tuesday, facing charges for violent actions against far-right activists that earned them the moniker “Hammer Gang”.

Global terrorist designation and prosecution case

Recently, the United States classified Antifa Ost as a terrorist group along with several other European far-left and anarchist groups.

German prosecutors state the network was behind attacks on sites in Germany and Hungary from 2018 through 2023. Among the incidents is the multiple attacks of a business proprietor in Thuringia, whose establishment reportedly served as a gathering spot for far-right supporters.

Some suspects are allegedly accused of employing hammers against presumed rightwing extremists, causing several severely injured.

Court proceedings and cross-border allegations

Court proceedings involving six men and one woman is scheduled to continue until mid-2026 in the city of Dresden. A pair of suspects, named as Johann G and Paul M, also face charges for attacks in Budapest during February 2023, coinciding with an annual event known as the “day of honor” that draws far-right participants from throughout the continent.

Separately, another German activist, Maja T., is facing trial in the Hungarian judicial system for four counts of attempted violent acts against neo-Nazis in the lead-up to the identical event in 2023.

Regional context and group hierarchy

The former East Germany has historically served as a breeding ground for both right-wing extremist and anti-immigration youth groups, as well as the often militant antifascist groups that oppose them.

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

Together with Paul M., he is alleged to have arranged 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

Another militant previously active with the organization, Lina E, became a cause celebre within some far-left activist circles following her 2023 guilty verdict for targeting suspected right-wing individuals.

America's terrorist listing renders organization affiliates ineligible to enter the US, blocks financial holdings they may have within the world’s largest economy and makes it illegal providing material support 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 “acknowledged” of the US designation.

“The danger from the [Antifa Ost] group has substantially diminished lately. The ringleaders and particularly violent members have either already been convicted or remain detained.”

Interior ministry representative