Key Figure of 'Hammerbande' Left-Wing Extremist Group Arrested in Germany

Johann G., linked to violent attacks on far-right targets, was apprehended in a coordinated police operation after years on the run.

Johann G., a suspected leader of the 'Hammerbande', was arrested in a regional train near Weimar, Thuringia, by German police forces.
Authorities had been searching for him since he went underground in 2020, with an arrest warrant issued in March 2021.
The group, associated with Lina E., is accused of multiple violent attacks on individuals linked to far-right movements across Germany and Hungary.
Saxony's Interior Minister Armin Schuster highlighted Johann G.'s arrest as a significant breakthrough in ongoing investigations.
The arrest underscores ongoing concerns about escalating violence and radicalization within extremist groups in Germany.