Right -wing radical in court: suspicious arms trade in Ried!

Right -wing radical in court: suspicious arms trade in Ried!

Ried im Innkreis, Österreich - in Ried im Innkreis is a 38-year-old man on trial for re-activation. The responsible journalist Bernadette Wiesbauer reports on a case that attracts both judicial and social attention. The accused, Jürgen W., is not only known for his previous convictions for re -activation, but is also managed as a former ringlead of the right -wing extremist network "Object 21". The indictment also includes offenses according to the weapons law, which contain serious allegations.

In another surcharge of the procedure, it becomes clear that Jürgen W. is not alone. His 35-year-old sister is also charged because he is said to have helped him sell a machine gun and Nazi devotional objects. These machinations, which have been uncovered by a hidden investigator, throw a shocking light on the structures of the right -wing extremist milieus in Austria. A fellow inmate who had heard of the offer of a machine gun informed the public prosecutor's office in the hope of earlier dismissal.

The situation around Jürgen W. and his sister

The prosecutor Alois Ebner describes Jürgen W. as someone who is strongly shaped by National Socialist ideas. He is said to have even offered a fellow inmate a machine gun, which he did not buy. Instead, this one undercover purchase obtained by the investigators, in which the weapon was purchased for 3000 euros. In addition to the machine gun, W. also offered Nazi votionals worth 20,000 euros, including a swastika flag from 1934.

Jürgen W.'s sister admitted to being involved in the gun handover and justified her actions with financial pressure to finance an urgently needed operation. A mediator is said to have put them under pressure, which ultimately led to their participation.

right -wing extremism in Austria

The problem of right -wing extremism in Austria becomes even clearer due to the current developments in the case of Jürgen W. According to a secondary data analysis of state crime statistics, an alarming increase in right -wing extremist crimes in Austria from 2020 to 2023 in particular. Upper Austria, Salzburg and Vorarlberg are particularly overrepresented. Around 60 % of the acts classified as right -wing extremist acts fall under the prohibition law, which underlines the difficulties in combating these activities, as is documented in a report on right -wing extremism.

A fact that can also be associated with the increasing anti -Semitic and anti -Muslim incidents after the terrorist attack on Israel in October 2023. The abuse of protests, such as against corona measures, shows how right-wing extremist groups are increasingly speaking in society and try to spread their ideologies.

The peace hike, which is organized by the jazz player Paul Zauner and takes place from June 15th to 17th from Braunau to Schärding, offers a welcome counterpoint to these extremist currents. It is part of the "Festival of the Regions" in the Innviertel and is supposed to bring people together to set a sign of peace and forgetting. Under the artistic direction of photographer Andreas Mühlleitner, a route was drawn up that includes nature and culture.

This is not only in the shadow of court judgments, but also in the light of hope for a common and peaceful coexistence.