Police investigate attempted murder of AfD lawmaker after far-left confession
German authorities upgraded their investigation of an attack on Alternative for Germany lawmaker Michael Meister to attempted murder after a laptop in his backpack stopped knife thrusts during an assault in Rostock.
Michael Meister, a member of the Alternative for Germany party in the state parliament of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, was attacked shortly before midnight on June 16 in Bleicherstrasse by two unknown men who first approached him before launching their assault, according to Nius. The assailants wounded him on the arm and reportedly hurled insults at him, calling him an “AfD Nazi.”
Police initially opened an investigation for aggravated assault. However, authorities have now escalated the probe to include attempted murder charges based on statements Meister provided about the sequence of events. Prosecutors are examining whether the attack meets the legal criteria for treacherous murder, given that the assault was directed at his back.
The AfD disclosed that a laptop inside Meister’s backpack deflected knife strikes aimed at his back. Meister, a former police officer, used a blood-stained shirt to compress his bleeding arm wound after the attack, images of which were circulated by the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania AfD parliamentary group.
Left-Wing Extremists Claim Responsibility on Underground Platform
The Rostock public prosecutor’s office is currently examining a statement of responsibility posted on the far-left extremist platform Indymedia. The message claimed the attackers had left a “nice memory” for the “AfD fascist” so he would “remember us for the rest of his life.” The posting stated that Meister had gotten “in their way” and concluded with a call to action: “Fight for the good life – attack Nazis and fascists.”
This was not the first attack targeting Meister. On June 10, left-wing extremists claimed responsibility on the same platform for vandalizing his vehicle. They published Meister’s home address and stated they had “paid a visit” to it, destroying all four tires and four windows of his car.
In that earlier statement, the perpetrators announced that due to the upcoming election campaign, they would “continue to attack the AfD, its political activists, and its infrastructure.” The message from June 10 already contained the slogans “Attack Nazis and fascists” and “Antifa on the offensive.” Six days later, the physical assault on Meister occurred.
State Police and Political Crimes Unit Take Over Investigation
The case is now being handled by the state criminal police office, as reported by Nius. The state security division, which is responsible for politically motivated crimes, is leading the investigation. Authorities have not yet responded to inquiries from the outlet regarding the status of the probe or potential suspects.
The escalation from property damage to violent assault against an elected representative highlights the growing willingness of far-left extremists to use physical violence against political opponents in Germany. The publication of Meister’s personal address on an extremist platform raises additional concerns about targeted intimidation campaigns against conservative lawmakers.
With information from Nius
