Hamburg Court Imprisons Young Members of Right-Wing Group Last Defense Wave

A higher regional court in Hamburg convicted seven young men and one supporter of the extremist network Last Defense Wave on charges that included attempted murder, arson, aggravated assault and membership in a terrorist organisation. The group carried out bomb and fire attacks against facilities housing asylum seekers and left-wing groups, notably setting fire to a cultural centre in Altdöbern in October 2024 and attempting to ignite a shelter in Schmölln in January 2024, where they also defaced the building with swastikas and anti-immigrant slogans.

A planned arson on a shelter in Senftenberg was thwarted after tips from a reporting team. The defendants, who were between 14 and 21 years old when the offences occurred, were sentenced under juvenile law to terms from one-and-half to five years, with the shortest sentence suspended. The verdicts can still be challenged on appeal. Recent arrests in June indicate the investigation continues.