Germany sentences eight teens for far‑right attacks on refugees

A German court in Hamburg sentenced eight teenagers, aged 14 to 18, to prison terms ranging from 1.5 to five years for their involvement in the far‑right extremist group Letzte Verteidigungswelle. The youths were convicted of membership in a terrorist organization and of crimes including attempted murder, arson, use of explosive devices, and displaying anti‑constitutional symbols.

The attacks targeted refugee accommodation centres and left‑wing activist venues in eastern Germany, with incidents such as the arson of a cultural centre between Berlin and Dresden and the throwing of fireworks into an asylum‑seeker shelter. No injuries were reported. During the trial most defendants expressed remorse and some have entered de‑radicalisation programmes, while one continued to plan a terrorist network while in custody. Court president Ulrike Taubner said the group sought to "cause chaos".