Outside the Higher Regional Court in Düsseldorf the trial on charges of offences against the state security began on 6 November 2026 against Peter Fitzek and three other defendants from the circle of the “Kingdom of Germany”. The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office accuses them of forming a criminal organisation under Section 129 of the German Criminal Code as well as related commercial and tax offences. Given the large volume of case files and the many witnesses, the court has scheduled more than 50 days of hearings through September 2027.
Fitzek, who for years presented himself as the “supreme sovereign” of the “Kingdom of Germany”, is described in the indictment as a central leader. The Federal Public Prosecutor General’s investigation is focused on the network’s structures, financial flows and organisational procedures. Areas of focus include documents issued by the group, a fund known as the “common good fund”, and assets seized in nationwide searches in May 2025. The Federal Ministry of the Interior banned the organisation on 13 May 2025.
According to security authorities, the “Kingdom of Germany” is a cult-like organisation with links to the Reichsbürger movement, which rejects the legitimacy of the Federal Republic and sought to establish parallel state institutions. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution refers in its reports to recurring financial and organisational practices intended to support the criminal allegations. These are assessments by the authorities; the court will determine criminal responsibility on the basis of the evidence.
The Higher Regional Court in Düsseldorf, has jurisdiction because some of the alleged acts took place in North Rhine-Westphalia. The location of Mendenis cited, among other places, as the site of a branch said to have been linked to the network. The indictment was filed on 10 July 2026. The case is being heard by a state security division, which handles this type of organisational crime within the Federal Public Prosecutor General’s jurisdiction.
At the opening of the trial, defence lawyers rejected the allegations as unfounded; some defendants dispute the roles attributed to them. The court first read out the indictment and organised the evidence-gathering process. Witness testimony, the presentation of documentary evidence and forensic financial reports are planned for the coming months. A verdict is not expected until the extensive examination of the evidence is complete; it remains open whether the defendants will be convicted or acquitted.
The trial is considered a landmark case in the rule of law’s response to organised groups with links to the Reichsbürger movement. At its heart are the limits between lawful association activity and criminal organisational activity, as well as the options available to the state when groups try to set up their own legal and economic systems. Regardless of political assessments, the evidence presented in court in Düsseldorf will be decisive.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).