German far-right suspect arrested over plans to kidnap health minister

BERLIN (AA) – German police arrested a leading figure of a far-right group who involved in a plot to kidnap the country’s health minister, authorities said on Thursday.

Elisabeth R., 75, has been an influential figure of the group, which planned sensational acts to spark “a civil-war-like situation” and ultimately overthrow the democratic system in Germany, the prosecutors said in a statement.

The suspect was responsible for the administrative work in the group, helped the military wing to procure arms and weapons, and wrote various documents to be used in the planned actions, according to the prosecutors. She also conducted talks with like-minded people to recruit new members to the far-right group.

Besides a plot to kidnap the health minister, the group also planned bomb attacks targeting the country’s energy infrastructure to cause a massive blackout in Germany.

Four members of the far-right group, which included anti-vaxxers and followers of the far-right Reich Citizens movement, were arrested earlier this year after raids in several federal states.

The police then seized a Kalashnikov rifle, more than a dozen firearms, ammunition, as well as various electronic devices, fake vaccination certificates, and coronavirus test reports.