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| Image Source: Al-Jazeera |
Daniel Helmba, 22, was part of a community that was raided in September on suspicion of carrying Nazi symbols.
A newly elected
lawmaker from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has been
arrested on suspicion of carrying Nazi symbols.
German news
agency DPA reported that 22-year-old Daniel Helmba was arrested in the
Stuttgart area and is being investigated on suspicion of incitement and using symbols
of an unconstitutional organization, prosecutors said.
The youngest
politician to be elected to the Bavarian parliament, Halimba Teutonia is a
member of the Prague student community.
It was raided
in September on suspicion that its premises may contain Nazi insignia and
racist documents. Authorities reported that contraband signs were discovered,
while neighbors complained that calls for "Seg Hail" (Hail Victory)
were heard.
The AfD announced
on Friday that an arrest warrant had been issued for one of its deputies. The
Public Prosecutor's Office then confirmed that Halimba was targeted.
Four other
members of the community are also under investigation.
The
prosecutor's office said the charges against the lawmaker were confirmed by
further examination of the evidence. Halimba is expected to be brought before a
judge in the city of Würzburg on Monday or Tuesday.
Halimba has
denied all the allegations. His lawyer Dubravko Mundi insisted there was
"no truth to any of the allegations".
During the
October 8 state elections in Bavaria and neighboring Hesse, the AfD made
significant gains. The anti-immigrant party came third in Bavaria with 14.6
percent of the vote.
In recent
national elections, his support has been reported at around 20 percent.
Co-leader Alice
Weddle said the results showed the party had the right to take part in
government and would "undemocratically ignore further exclusion and
discrimination for the electorate".
He added that the
AfD "is no longer perceived as just a protest party", and that if the
party comes second in the 2025 national elections, according to current public
opinion rankings, it will Will claim to lead the country.
Members of
Parliament in Germany have immunity. However, Halimba's immunity will not take
effect until the Bavarian parliament meets for the first time since the
election in a plenary session this afternoon.
(Courtesy: Al-Jazeera)
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