A German court has sentenced five members of an extremist group tied to the Reichsbürger (Reich Citizens) movement to prison for conspiring to overthrow the government and abduct Health Minister Karl Lauterbach.

The convicted individuals—four men aged 46 to 58 and a 77-year-old woman—were part of the self-styled "United Patriots" group. On Thursday, the Koblenz Higher Regional Court handed down prison terms ranging from five years and nine months to eight years, according to the German news agency dpa. A fifth defendant received a sentence of two years and 10 months.

The case is one of several targeting Germany’s far-right scene, which promotes conspiracy theories and rejects the legitimacy of the modern German state.

The court heard that by January 2022, the defendants had devised a plan to kidnap Lauterbach, a key figure behind Covid-era restrictions, and were prepared to kill his bodyguards if necessary. They aimed to trigger a civil war by sabotaging the power grid—an operation they called "Silent Night"—in hopes that the ensuing chaos would rally disaffected security forces to their cause.

Following the verdict, Lauterbach, a member of the centre-left Social Democrats, expressed gratitude to authorities, stating, "I thank the police and the judiciary for solving and punishing the planned crime."

Dive deeper

The Reichsbürger movement, to which the defendants subscribed, claims that the German Empire, which collapsed in 1918, still exists. The group’s ideology has led to multiple legal actions, with trials taking place in Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, and Stuttgart—some resulting in convictions, while others remain ongoing.

Led by minor aristocrat and businessman Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss, the movement is known for attracting discontented individuals and gun enthusiasts. Prosecutors have suggested the defendants were influenced by the global QAnon conspiracy.

The court also convicted two of the main defendants on weapons charges, while another was found guilty of planning a serious act of violence against the state. The men were arrested in April 2022, while the woman was detained in October of that year. Their trial began in May 2023.

Last April, German prosecutors charged a sixth suspect in connection with the kidnapping plot.

Germany’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser condemned the group’s plans, stating, "The investigations into this terrorist group have revealed an abyss. The violent plans for a coup, for attacks on the electricity infrastructure, for the kidnapping of Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, and for the killing of his bodyguards have shown an enormous threat."

Faeser reaffirmed the government’s commitment to countering such extremist threats, declaring, "We are protecting our democracy."