Germany saw a big jump last year in politically motivated crimes, and offences committed by far-right supporters hit a record high, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said on Tuesday. Far-right offences were up nearly six percent from the previous year at 23,064, and accounted for more than half of all politically motivated crimes, the highest level since police started collecting such data in 2001. Violent crimes classified as political in nature rose by nearly 20 percent year-on-year to 3,365 and included 11 murders and 13 attempted murders, Seehofer said. “These numbers are very alarming mainly because a trend has been established over the last few years,” he said. German intelligence fears that far-right activists are trying to exploit public frustration over lockdowns imposed to halt the spread of COVID-19 to incite violence against state institutions.

Source: Egypt Independent May 04, 2021 13:18 UTC