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

International terror listing and prosecution case

Earlier this month, the US government classified Antifa Ost as a terrorist group together with several other European far-left and anarchist groups.

German prosecutors claim the group was responsible for targeting sites in Germany and Hungary from 2018 through 2023. Included in the allegations is the multiple attacks of a restaurant owner in Thuringia, whose establishment reportedly served as a gathering spot for rightwing activists.

Some suspects are said to have employing hammers against presumed rightwing extremists, causing several with serious injuries.

Trial details and cross-border allegations

Court proceedings involving six men and one woman is expected to run until July 2026 in the eastern city of Dresden, Germany. Two defendants, identified as Johann G and Paul M, also face charges for attacks in the Hungarian capital during February 2023, around an annual event known as the “day of honour” that draws rightwing extremists from throughout the continent.

In a related case, another German activist, Maja T, is facing trial in Hungary for four counts of attempted violent acts against neo-Nazis prior to the same rally in 2023.

Regional context and organizational structure

Eastern Germany has long been a hotbed for both far-right and anti-immigrant youth organizations, as well as the often militant antifascist groups that oppose them.

Authorities characterize Johann G as a senior figure within the organization, responsible for 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 the suspect, the group reportedly stockpiled tools, irritant sprays, concealment items and mobile phones.

Prior legal cases and global responses

A different activist formerly involved with the organization, Lina E., became a symbolic figure within some far-left activist circles following her 2023 guilty verdict for targeting presumed far-right targets.

The US designation renders organization affiliates barred from entering the US, freezes any assets they may have within the world’s largest economy and makes it illegal providing material support to them.

Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany applauded the American move and called on the German administration to follow suit. In contrast, the German foreign ministry simply stated it had “taken note” of the US designation.

“The danger posed by the organization has recently decreased significantly. Key leaders and most aggressive participants have received convictions or are in custody.”

Government representative