Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Berlin Court Clears Trial of AfD MP Over Alleged Hitler Salute in Bundestag

A state-protection panel will hear the case due to the alleged act inside parliament.

Overview

  • The indictment was admitted to trial in a March 17 decision, and the Berlin regional court’s state-protection chamber is now setting dates.
  • Prosecutors say Matthias Moosdorf greeted a party colleague on June 22, 2023 with a heel click and a Nazi salute in a Bundestag cloakroom by the East entrance.
  • He is charged with using symbols of a banned organization, a crime under German law that can lead to a fine or a prison term of up to three years.
  • The case was first filed at the local Tiergarten court and then moved to the regional court for “special significance” tied to the Bundestag setting and nationwide interest, which removes a normal factual appeal and leaves only a legal review.
  • Moosdorf, whose parliamentary immunity was lifted in October 2025, rejects the allegation as a political smear and says no witnesses support it, while prosecutors say their investigation still shows sufficient suspicion.