German soldiers suspected of involvement in antisemitic chat room
German authorities have uncovered a group of 26 soldiers suspected of involvement in a chat room with links to antisemitism, right-wing extremism and pornography.
The allegation, disclosed in a German Defence Ministry document, was described by one opposition politician as showing that claims of far-right sentiments in the German military being merely “isolated cases” was “just a fairy tale.”
According to the report, many of the 26 soldiers belong to a logistics unit in Neustadt am Ruebenberge in northern Germany. After the accusations became known in October, civilian and military prosecutors started investigations immediately. So far, three soldiers have been banned from the military.
The case is the latest far-right scandal to surface in the German military. In June, Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer disbanded a company of the elite KSK Special Forces after alleged recurring incidents involving the far-right.
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