The German Federal Prosecutor’s Office said in Baden-Württemberg that a Romanian man was arrested on suspicion of attempting to establish a right-wing extremist terrorist organization. The group was described as intending to ignite a “war of terror” in Romania and to contribute to the downfall of the Romanian state as well as the creation of a new state entity modeled on Nazism, according to the Karlsruhe authorities on Tuesday. The suspect is also said to have planned arson attacks against venues and spaces used by the queer community.
From early 2023, the man allegedly worked on forming this right-wing extremist group. “To recruit members for the association, the defendant operated two channels from Germany via a messaging service,” the prosecutor’s office stated. “These were directed especially at young Romanians.”
Guides to Poison and Explosives
The man allegedly urged subscribers and members to commit a range of crimes — for instance, graffiti bearing neo-Nazi symbols, steering young women toward self-harm, arson against buildings used by migrants or people in the queer community, and the murder of “subhumans.” He also published instructions on making poisons and explosives and on constructing Molotov cocktails and car bombs, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office said.
According to SWR, in his efforts to recruit co-conspirators, he drew on the gaming scene as a model. The 22-year-old is said to have developed a points-based system to reward various kinds of attacks.
Suspect in Custody
According to the Federal Prosecutor, the Romanian is strongly suspected of trying to form a foreign terrorist organization, acting as its ringleader. Germany’s top law enforcement authority also accuses him of planning a serious act of violence that could endanger the state. During the period in question, he is said to have been part of a circle that included young adults aged 18 to 20.
The suspect was arrested on Tuesday in the Enz district in the northern Black Forest by police officers from Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg. He was subsequently brought before the investigating judge at Karlsruhe’s Federal Court of Justice, who issued the detention order and ordered that he be held in custody. He is now in pretrial detention.
