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A group of seven people accused of being the German far-left militant group the Antifa Ost network began their trial on Tuesday, accused for violent actions against far-right activists that earned them the moniker “Hammer Gang”.

Global terrorist designation and legal charges

Recently, the US government classified Antifa Ost as a terrorist organization together with several other European far-left and anarchist networks.

Authorities in Germany state the network was behind targeting locations in Germany and Hungary between 2018 and 2023. Included in the allegations is the multiple attacks of a restaurant owner in Thuringia, whose venue reportedly served as a gathering spot for rightwing activists.

Certain individuals are allegedly accused of using hammers against presumed rightwing extremists, causing several severely injured.

Trial details and cross-border allegations

Court proceedings involving seven defendants is scheduled to continue until July 2026 in the eastern city of Dresden, Germany. A pair of suspects, named as Johann G. and Paul M., also face charges for violent incidents in Budapest during early 2023, around an annual event known as the “day of honor” that draws rightwing extremists from across Europe.

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

Historical background and organizational structure

The former East Germany has long been a hotbed for both right-wing extremist and anti-immigration youth groups, as well as the often militant antifascist groups that counter them.

Prosecutors describe Johann G. as a senior figure within Antifa Ost, responsible for planning attacks and recruiting accomplices.

Alongside Paul M., he is alleged to have arranged instruction courses where radical left activists trained in fighting methods and rehearsed attacks. In storage facilities managed by Paul M, the group allegedly accumulated hammers, pepper spray, disguises and communication devices.

Prior legal cases and international reactions

Another militant formerly involved with the organization, Lina E., became a cause celebre within certain radical left communities following her 2023 guilty verdict for targeting suspected right-wing individuals.

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 AfD party welcomed the American move and called on the government in Berlin to take similar action. However, the country's diplomatic office merely commented it had “acknowledged” of the American classification.

“The threat from the [Antifa Ost] group has substantially diminished lately. Key leaders and particularly violent members have received convictions or are in custody.”

Government spokesperson