Risk from Antifa Ost in Germany down, security services say

German authorities said on Friday that the security risk associated with Antifa Ost, which Washington has classified as a global terrorist organisation, had been significantly reduced in recent years. They justified this by a series of arrests and convictions of members of the group.

German Interior Ministry spokeswoman Sarah Frühuaf said that an assessment by German security authorities concluded that the potential threat from the group had significantly decreased.

The United States has classified Antifa Ost and three other European groups as "Specially Designated Global Terrorist Organisations". US Secretary of State Marco Rubio justified this with a decision to curb "a campaign of political violence."

Antifa Ost, also known as the "Hammer Gang," operates as an extremist network, and its members have carried out several violent attacks against individuals the group considers "fascists on the German right-wing scene."

(reuters, sie)