An 18-year-old German, whom investigators regard as the alleged founder of the far-right chat group Terror 18 and who has been in remand in custodysince early November. According to research by NDR are examining Polizei and Public Prosecutor’s Office indications of possible preparations for an arson attack on a refugee accommodation centre in Lower Saxony. The arrest warrants were reportedly executed in the first week of November; investigations are ongoing.
According to reports, security authorities have excerpts from chat logs in which violence against migrants is glorified and specific ways of carrying out attacks are discussed. In one case, a 15-year-old alleged group member is said to have planned an arson attack. The public prosecutor’s office considers the content sufficient to give rise to an initial suspicion, but points out that solid evidence of criminal preparations must be examined in the course of further proceedings. No final court judgments have been issued; all claims about the possible offence must therefore be treated as allegations.
According to consistent media reports, investigations are under way in Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein. Police have so far made no comment on operational details such as devices seized, channels examined or specific means of attack. The analysis of digital evidence and the attribution of individual chat posts to identified people are considered key areas of focus. Whether the chats amounted to firm agreements or mainly documented boastful fantasies of violence is the subject of the ongoing investigation.
Civil society groups are calling for a swift and thorough investigation. The Lower Saxony Refugee Council is urging protective measures for residents at risk and calling for an independent review of the authorities’ actions. Anti-fascist research groups are drawing attention to possible support and networking structures beyond the core members. Police say that law enforcement and prevention are priorities, alongside protection plans for those potentially affected.
The case is part of a series of proceedings against far-right online networks, in which teenagers and young adults are rapidly radicalised through closed chat groups. Security authorities see such groups as a fluid mix of self-promotion, fanaticism and occasional readiness to act. Two points are crucial to the current assessment: first, what verifiable evidence of concrete preparations for an attack can be presented; second, whether the chats reveal organisational structures that would allow criminal or other legal measures to be taken against the group. Until solid findings are presented, the matter remains an allegation; the presumption of innocence applies.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).