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Seven individuals allegedly belonging to the German far-left militant group Antifa Ost began their trial on Tuesday, accused for violent actions against far-right activists that earned them the nickname “Hammer Gang”.

International terrorist designation and legal charges

Earlier this month, the US government classified the organization as a terrorist group together with multiple additional European far-left and anarchist networks.

Authorities in Germany state the group was responsible for targeting sites in Germany and Hungary from 2018 through 2023. Included in the allegations is the repeated targeting of a restaurant owner in central Thuringia, whose venue reportedly served as a meeting point for rightwing activists.

Certain individuals are said to have using hammers against suspected far-right members, causing several severely injured.

Court proceedings and international connections

The trial involving seven defendants is expected to run until mid-2026 in the eastern city of Dresden. Two defendants, identified as Johann G and Paul M, also face charges for attacks in the Hungarian capital during February 2023, coinciding with an annual event known as the “day of honor” that draws far-right participants from across Europe.

Separately, another German activist, Maja T., is facing trial in the Hungarian judicial system for multiple charges of attempted assault against neo-Nazis in the lead-up to the same rally in that year.

Historical background and group hierarchy

The former East Germany has historically served as a breeding ground for both right-wing extremist and anti-immigrant youth organizations, as well as the frequently radical antifascist groups that counter them.

Prosecutors describe Johann G as a high-ranking member within Antifa Ost, tasked with organizing violent acts and bringing in new members.

Together with Paul M., he is alleged to have arranged training sessions where radical left activists practised combat techniques and rehearsed attacks. In storage facilities managed by Paul M, the group allegedly accumulated tools, irritant sprays, disguises and communication devices.

Prior legal cases and international reactions

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

America's terrorist listing renders organization affiliates ineligible to enter the United States, blocks financial holdings they could possess within the world’s largest economy and criminalizes providing material support to them.

Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany welcomed the American move and called on the German administration to take similar action. In contrast, the country's diplomatic office merely commented it had “acknowledged” of the US designation.

“The threat from the [Antifa Ost] group has recently decreased significantly. The ringleaders and particularly violent members have either already been convicted or remain detained.”

Interior ministry representative