BERLIN (AP) — Nine people charged with terrorism in connection with an alleged far-right plot to topple the German government went on trial Monday in one of three linked cases.
The trial opening in Stuttgart is the first to open in relation to the purported conspiracy, which came to light in late 2022. It is focused on those defendants of the Reich Citizens group who allegedly were part of its so-called military arm, German news agency dpa reported.
Federal prosecutors in December filed terrorism charges against a total of 27 people, one of whom has since died.
Nine other suspects, among them a self-styled prince and a former far-right lawmaker, will go on trial on May 21 at a Frankfurt state court in the most prominent of the three cases. The other eight will go on trial in Munich on June 18.
The Frankfurt case includes Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss, whom the group allegedly planned to install as Germany’s provisional new leader; Birgit Malsack-Winkemann, a judge and former lawmaker with the far-right Alternative for Germany party; and a retired paratrooper.
The proceedings of the three cases are expected to last well into 2025.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said on ZDF public television that the trial "shows the strength of our rule of law that the largest terrorist network of Reich Citizens to date (...) has to answer for its militant plans to overthrow the government.”
Prosecutors have said that the accused believed in a “conglomerate of conspiracy myths,” including Reich Citizens and QAnon ideology, and were convinced that Germany is ruled by a so-called deep state.
Adherents of the Reich Citizens movement, or Reichsbuergerbewegung in German, reject Germany’s postwar constitution and have called for bringing down the government, while QAnon is a global conspiracy theory with roots in the United States.
According to prosecutors, the group planned to storm into the parliament building in Berlin and arrest lawmakers. It allegedly intended to negotiate a post-coup order primarily with Russia, as one of the allied victors of World War II.
The nine defendants at the Stuttgart trial are accused of membership in a terrorist organization and “preparation of a high treasonous enterprise.” One of the defendants is also on trial for attempted murder, dpa reported.
Most of the nine suspects in the Frankfurt trial are also charged with membership in a terrorist organization and “preparation of high treasonous undertaking.” The other eight alleged members of the group have been charged in separate indictments at the court in Munich.
A defendant is led into the courtroom, at the Higher Regional Court at the start of a trial, in Stuttgart, Germany, Monday, April 29, 2024. Nine people charged in connection with an alleged far-right plot to topple the German government are going on trial in one of three cases linked to the plot that came to light in late 2022. (Bernd Wei'brod/dpa via AP)
FILE - Police officers stand by a searched property in Frankfurt during a raid against so-called 'Reich citizens' in Frankfurt, Germany, Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022. Nine people charged in connection with an alleged far-right plot to topple the German government are going on trial in one of three cases linked to the plot that came to light in late 2022. The trial that opens Monday in Stuttgart is the first one and focused on those defendants of the so-called Reich Citizens group who allegedly were part of the so-called military arm. (Boris Roessler/dpa via AP, File)
FILE - A police officer carries a plastic box during a raid against so-called 'Reich citizens' in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022. Nine people charged in connection with an alleged far-right plot to topple the German government are going on trial in one of three cases linked to the plot that came to light in late 2022. The trial that opens Monday in Stuttgart is the first one and focused on those defendants of the so-called Reich Citizens group who allegedly were part of the so-called military arm. (Paul Zinken/dpa via AP, File)
Netflix and the NFL announced a three-year deal Wednesday to stream games on Christmas Day.
The streaming giant will carry two games this year and at least one game in 2025 and ‘26. Defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City will face Pittsburgh in the first game, followed by Baltimore at Houston.
The NFL has played a total of 30 games on Christmas Day since 1971, including three last year. It has stayed away from midweek games, though, until this year's Christmas slate.
Hans Schroeder, the executive vice president of NFL Media, said team owners meeting in March were presented with a plan where teams playing on Christmas Day would have their Week 16 games on Saturday, which would give them the same amount of prep time they normally have in a short week when playing on Sunday and Thursday.
After owners gave the go-ahead to proceed, Netflix approached the league about airing the games.
“We had a broad process and talked to a number of potential parties and ultimately thought Netflix was the one,” Schroeder said. “This is really the first truly global rights deal with a major sports league or property. We're going to learn a lot and excited for our fans around the world to enjoy the games on a single platform.”
Netflix began airing NFL programming last year with the series “Quarterback." A series on wide receivers will premiere this year. It also live streamed the Tom Brady roast on May 5 and will have a 10-part documentary series later this year on Jerry Jones and his ownership of the Dallas Cowboys.
Netflix's forays into carrying live sports began last year, but they were exhibition events in golf and tennis. It is also scheduled to air the July 20 bout between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul and next year will start carrying World Wrestling Entertainment’s flagship show, “Raw.”
“People love football and we do, too. These games go with our big-event live strategy of all the live programming we have done in this last year — like The Tom Brady roast, the Netflix Slam and the upcoming Jake Paul vs Tyson boxing match. We’re excited about having the NFL conversation around Christmas Day,” Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s chief content officer, told The Associated Press.
Who Netflix will use to announce and produce the holiday doubleheader remains to be determined.
The bigger question is how the move from broadcast television to streaming will impact ratings as the Christmas games typically get large audiences. Last year’s three games averaged 28.68 million viewers. The early afternoon contest between the Las Vegas Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs averaged 29.48 million.
CBS Sports CEO and president David Berson welcomed Netflix even if it meant his network not having a game on Christmas Day.
“Good for Netflix. The more interest for the NFL, the more we’re going to benefit,” Berson said. “We can't possibly have all of the AFC games — we know some will go to NBC, ESPN, Amazon and in this case Netflix,” he said. “It's great to have them part of this. Welcome to the party.”
Even though there have been some criticisms about more games moving to streaming, NFL fans have mostly stayed tuned in.
According to Nielsen figures, last season's 16-game “Thursday Night Football” package on Prime Video averaged 11.86 million viewers, a 24% increase over 2023. Two games had more than 15 million viewers, including 15.3 million for the Nov. 30 matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys.
The Jan. 13 AFC wild-card playoff game between the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs on Peacock averaged 23 million, a record for the most-watched event on a streaming service. It also surpassed the audiences for the Saturday night wild-card playoff games that were shown on NBC in two of the past three years.
“We looked at all those elements and then looked at what the Netflix audience could do with its reach," Schroeder said. "We want to continue to reach our fans on these new platforms and where we know they're spending their time. And to bring in a new partner that can speak to an even wider audience is something we're excited about.”
In keeping with the NFL's longstanding policy on games that are carried on cable or streaming platforms, Netflix's Christmas games will air on broadcast TV in the competing teams' home cities and will be available on mobile devices in the U.S. with NFL+.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
FILE - Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) throws a pass during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. Netflix and the NFL announced a three-year deal Wednesday, May 15, 2024. to stream games on Christmas Day, which includes the Chiefs taking on Steelers on Dec. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Travis Heying, File)
