German police have arrested the leader of the radical left-wing Hammer Gang, Johann Guntermann, who is involved in attacks against right-wing politicians, the tabloid Bild reported today, November 8, citing law enforcement.
The 31-year-old man was detained by members of the mobile special forces unit of the Saxon criminal police between Jena and Weimar. Now the leader of a gang of left-wing extremists will appear before the German Federal Court. In September 2023, the Saxon Public Prosecutor’s Office announced a reward of €10,000 for information on the whereabouts of Guntermann, wanted as the main suspect in a series of politically motivated violent attacks.
“This man was one of the most wanted left-wing extremists, against whom several arrest warrants have been issued and who is fundamental in the investigation into the activities of radical organizations,” — the head of the Saxony Ministry of the Interior commented on the arrest Armin Schuster.
In a statement, the Saxony Criminal Police Office said the defendant is suspected of participating in several “politically motivated attacks as a member of a criminal organization.”
“Some of the victims of the attacks suffered serious injuries,” – the department emphasized.
According to the prosecution, Gunterman was already a “key” representative of the so-called “Hammer Gang” in 2018. That same year, a young man was sentenced to 19 months in prison for aggravated disorderly conduct, in particular for his participation in a attack at the Leipzig district court. The attackers then threw stones at the administrative building.
One of the episodes attributed to the leader of the Hammer Gang is an attack by at least eight German left-wing extremists, led by Guntermann, against representatives of the neo-Nazi movement in Budapest.
