A leading member of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, Björn Höcke, has been fined for using a banned Nazi slogan, a regional court ruled on Tuesday evening.
The regional court in the eastern German city of Halle sentenced Höcke to a fine for using symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations.
The court imposed a fine of €13,000 ($14,000), paid in 100 daily installments of €130.
Prosecutors had accused the leader of the Thuringian state AfD of knowingly using a banned slogan of the Sturmabteilung (SA) or Storm Troopers, a Nazi paramilitary group commonly referred to as the “brownshirts.”
The case was sparked by a speech Höcke gave in Merseburg in May 2021, in which he used the phrase “Everything for Germany!” (Alles für Deutschland!) which is prohibited in Germany.
Höcke, a former history teacher, denied that he had knowingly used the slogan. The defense had called for Höcke’s acquittal because he did not know it was prohibited.
The prosecutor had previously sought a six-month suspended prison sentence, claiming he was aware of its historical origins.
The chairman agreed and stated in the judgment that the court was convinced that Höcke knew that the SA slogan was prohibited, but used it anyway.
“You are an eloquent, intelligent man who knows what he is saying,” the judge said.
After the verdict was handed down, the Public Prosecution Service said it would consider an appeal. If the verdict is confirmed, Höcke will have a criminal record.
The Thuringian AfD is categorized and monitored by the state’s domestic intelligence service as a confirmed right-wing extremist party, and Höcke is its state leader.
The AfD’s signature theme is a hardline anti-immigration stance, and the party is benefiting from increased concern among many German voters about the rising number of people seeking asylum in the country.
The current ruling is not expected to have any direct consequences for Höcke’s candidacy for the upcoming state elections in Thuringia on September 1.
