German police raid far-right youth groups across 12 states, 36 suspects targeted

German police on Wednesday searched approximately 50 locations in 12 federal states, targeting 36 suspected members of two far-right youth groups, the Federal Public Prosecutor said. The operation, involving more than 600 police officers, focused on the groups Deutsche Jugend Voran (DJV) — which also operates under the name Neue Deutsche Welle — and Jung und Stark (JS). The Federal Public Prosecutor is investigating both groups for forming a criminal organization.

The suspects are predominantly youth and young adults, with some known for violent behavior in the past, prosecutors said. Eight of the 36 suspects are also being investigated for dangerous bodily harm. Prosecutors said in a statement that "some of the accused are said to have attacked members of the left-wing scene or people they believed to be pedophiles. In each instance, the victims were beaten by several attackers and sustained significant injuries."

No arrests were planned at the time of the searches. "Today's searches are intended to clarify the existing grounds for suspicion," investigators said in a statement carried by the epd news agency. The searches took place in Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Schleswig-Holstein.

DJV and JS emerged in mid-2024 and are considered prone to violence. Law enforcement agencies estimate each group numbers several hundred members. DJV is mostly centered in Berlin and Brandenburg, while both groups operate nationwide.

Federal Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD) said "militant right-wing extremist groups are gaining support, shockingly especially among young people." She described violent right-wing extremism as the greatest threat facing Germany from within.

In 2025, German police registered 1,598 right-wing motivated violent crimes, the highest since 2016.