Prosecutors in Berlin have formally charged a parliamentarian from the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party for allegedly making an illegal Nazi salute on the premises of the German parliament, the Reichstag.
The Alleged Incident at Parliament
The charge relates to an incident said to have occurred in June 2023. According to the public prosecutor's office, the suspect, identified by German media as Matthias Moosdorf, is accused of greeting a fellow party member at the east entrance of the historic Reichstag building. The greeting reportedly involved a heel click and a Hitler salute.
Authorities emphasised that the accused was allegedly aware the gesture was visible to other people in the entrance area. In Germany, the display of symbols and gestures associated with unconstitutional organisations, including the Nazi salute, is a criminal offence under the penal code.
Legal Consequences and Political Fallout
The act of making a Nazi salute is strictly prohibited and can be punished with a prison sentence of up to three years. In light of the allegations, Moosdorf, the 60-year-old MP for Zwickau in Saxony, was stripped of his parliamentary immunity in October 2023, paving the way for legal proceedings.
Moosdorf, who has been an AfD member since 2016, has denied the accusation. On Monday, following the announcement of the charge, he posted a statement on the social media platform X contesting the claim.
Background of the Accused MP
The case adds to a series of controversies surrounding the politician. Until May 2023, Moosdorf served as a foreign policy spokesperson for the AfD's parliamentary group. He was relieved of this duty after his perceived friendliness towards Russia caused internal party friction.
Further scrutiny emerged in October 2024 when it was revealed that Moosdorf, a trained cellist, holds an honorary professorship at a music academy in Moscow.
The charge underscores the ongoing tensions in Germany regarding the use of historical Nazi symbolism and the legal boundaries imposed to combat far-right extremism within the political sphere.
