Eight more police officers suspected of extremism

Eight police officers from Saxony have come under suspicion of extremism in the first half of the year. The cases involved the trivialization or glorification of National Socialism and the use of symbols of unconstitutional organizations, Interior Minister Armin Schuster (CDU) informed in Dresden on Tuesday. Six of the new suspicious cases arose from posts or statements in social media. "We look closely and consistently follow up on every suspicious case, because there is no place for extremists in the civil service," Schuster stressed.

Since 2017, the Coordination Office for Preventing and Combating Extremism (KostEx) has been collecting cases related to extremism in Saxony's security agencies. In the course of this, 79 cases under investigation have been recorded so far, according to the ministry. Forty-seven procedures have reportedly been completed. The result was seven dismissals, but also disciplinary measures such as fines, cuts in pay and reprimands. 17 cases were closed because suspicions were not confirmed.

The situation report, which is published every six months, reportedly covers the Interior Ministry's entire area of responsibility, with a total of 18,000 employees, including around 15,500 in the police.