Twenty-five people were arrested as thousands of police officers carried out raids across 130 cities in Germany against suspected far-right extremists accused of seeking to wage an armed coup to overthrow the government.
Justice Minister Marco Buschmann described the raids as an “anti-terrorism operation,” adding that the suspects may have planned an armed attack on institutions of the state.
Prosecutors said the suspects were linked to the so-called Reich Citizens movement, whose adherents reject Germany’s post-World War II constitution and have called for bringing down the government.
Police detained 22 German citizens on suspicion of “membership in a terrorist organization,” according to prosecutors. Three others were held on suspicion of supporting the organization, including one Russian citizen. Prosecutors say another 27 people remain under investigation.
