A German court said Friday it had handed jail terms to three members of an extremist group that plotted to provoke "circumstances akin to civil war" and overthrow the government.
The trio adhered to the ideology of the "Reichsbuerger" (Citizens of the Reich) movement of conspiracy theorists who reject the legitimacy of the modern German republic and were found to have radicalised during the Covid pandemic.
The Munich court said it had handed a sentence of two years and three months to 62-year-old Rainer S., who was found guilty of membership in a terrorist organisation named in court as the "Imperial Group".
Two other men, 71-year-old Joachim K. and 60-year-old Achim M., were found guilty of supporting the group and received suspended sentences of one year and nine months and one year and four months respectively.
All three were also found of complicity in "preparing an act of high treason" in the trial, one of numerous court proceedings against groups linked to the Reichsbuerger.
