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Germany: Arrest warrant issued for far-right politician

Nik Martin
October 28, 2023

Daniel Halemba, who recently won a seat in Bavaria's state parliament, is being sought for an undisclosed reason. However, the 22-year-old was part of a student fraternity being investigated for displaying Nazi symbols.

https://p.dw.com/p/4Y92d
A flag with the logo of the far-right Alternative for Germany Party is on show at Munich's Karlsplatz Stachus on September 22, 2018
The far-right AfD picked up additional support from voters in Bavaria earlier this monthImage: Sachelle Babbar/picture alliance/ZUMAPRESS

An arrest warrant has been issued for the newly-elected far-right politician to Bavaria's state parliament, the Würzburg public prosecutor's office said on Saturday

Daniel Halemba, a 22-year-old lawmaker with the Alternative for Germany Party (AfD) is being investigated for reasons that prosecutors refused to make public.

"For tactical reasons, we don’t want to say anything about the exact accusation or the reason for the arrest," a spokesperson for the public prosecutor's office told DPA news agency.

Halemba has not yet been tracked down or come forward.

His party had announced a day earlier that one of its members was subject to an arrest warrant, without giving their name.

AfD parliamentary group leader Katrin Ebner-Steiner warned that Halemba faced potentially being locked up "on flimsy grounds.”

More Germans willing to vote for far-right parties

Halemba's immunity takes effect next week

Lawmakers in Germany do enjoy immunity from prosecution but in Halemba's case, this will only take effect from next Monday.

Halemba was recently elected to the state parliament of the southern German state of Bavaria, after a swing by voters to the far-right AfD.

He is set to become the youngest politician in the chamber when it sits for the first time next week.

Whether the arrest warrant against him will be executed by then is unclear.

Prosecutors had been investigating Halemba and other members of a student fraternity. A raid on premises used by the group reportedly found symbols of banned organizations — including Nazis symbols.

With material from DPA news agency.

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