German men charged with forming armed group to oppose Covid rules

A group of three German men accused of forming an armed group to oppose coronavirus pandemic restrictions will stand trial, a court in the western German city of Koblenz ruled on Friday.

According to the indictment, the men formed a group they named Paladin with the goal of taking up arms against government-imposed Covid-19 measures, the court said on Friday.

The defendants allegedly took part in paramilitary exercises between February and May 2021 and produced weapon parts and ammunition using 3D printers.

One of the three defendants, a 39-year-old, is said to have developed the idea during the pandemic that the state would abolish the fundamental rights of citizens under the pretext of fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

In his opinion, the police and armed forces had been radicalized against "the masses" and driven "towards civil war and escalation," according to the indictment.

The 39-year-old argued that people had a right of resistance and considered it necessary for citizens to arm themselves in order to be "ready to defend themselves."

In October 2020, he is said to have decided to form an armed group.

In February 2021, he allegedly recruited a 63-year-old and a 57-year-old, who subsequently took part in paramilitary exercises with him.

The 39-year-old was arrested in Portugal in the fall of 2023 and is now in custody in Germany, while his the co-defendants remain at large.

The defendants are accused of forming and commanding an armed group, forming or being members of a criminal organization and violating the Weapons Act.