Woman jailed for five years over attacks on neo-Nazis in Germany

A 28-year-old woman has been sentenced to five years and three months in prison in eastern Germany for taking part in a series of attacks on neo-Nazis and other right-wing extremists over a period of two years.

The Dresden regional court convicted Lina E, whose surname was not released due to German privacy rules, of membership of a criminal organisation and serious bodily harm, the dpa news agency reported.

Prosecutors accused the student of “militant extreme-left ideology” and conceiving the idea of attacks on far-right individuals in Leipzig and nearby towns.

Three men, Lennart A, Jannis R and Jonathan M, are alleged to have joined up with her by the end of 2019. The men were sentenced to between 27 months and 39 months in prison.

Lina E has been in custody since her arrest on November 5 2020. The others have remained free.

The attacks Lina E was accused of helping orchestrate included a 2020 incident in which about 15 or 20 assailants beat a group of six people returning from a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the firebombing of Dresden.

The event regularly attracts neo-Nazis and other far-right sympathisers. Prosecutors said several victims sustained serious injuries after being punched, kicked and hit with batons.

Defence lawyers had called for their clients to be acquitted, claiming the trial was politically motivated.

Far-left groups have announced plans to protest against the verdict, prompting police to establish a large presence in Leipzig in anticipation of possible unrest.