By Anadolu staff
BERLIN (AA) - German authorities carried out nationwide raids Wednesday targeting suspects allegedly linked to a terrorist group plotting to overthrow the Eritrean government.
The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office said 17 suspects are believed to be senior members of Brigade N'Hamedu, an internationally connected network that aims to overthrow the government of the East African country. The group has operated in Germany since at least 2022.
More than 200 police officers executed search warrants at 19 locations, including eight in Hesse, four in North Rhine-Westphalia, three in Bavaria, two in Baden-Wurttemberg, and one each in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Rhineland-Palatinate.
“Some members of the organization consider violence against German government institutions and their representatives – e.g. police officers deployed to secure said events – legitimate means,” prosecutors said in a statement.
The group was accused of orchestrating violent clashes at Eritrean events in Germany, including festivals in Giessen in August 2022 and 2023, and at a seminar in Stuttgart in September 2023, where numerous police officers were injured.