Franco Albrecht

Franco Albrecht is German Bundeswehr Leutnant in the Franco-German Brigade. He is suspected to carry out one or more 'false flag' attacks in an domestic right-wing terror plot. His case led to investigations about a nation-wide army-based Neonazi network in Germany.[1] Franco Albrecht, soldier Maximilian T., student Mathias F. and eleven other persons were suspected members of the group.[2]

Franco Albrechts case sparked a public debate about right-wing extremist attitudes in the recent Bundeswehr and their traditions in relation to the Wehrmacht. In November 2017 all three known suspects had to be released due to lack of urgent legal suspicion.

Background
Soldiers of German-Franco Brigade, Franco Albrecht was part of at Bastille Day 2013

Franco Albrecht was a professional soldier in the Franco-German Brigade. He studied since September 2009 at military Universities in Germany and the French École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr at Bretagne. There he had written his master's thesis, “political change and subversion strategy” at the French university in 2014. This thesis contains far-right thinking.[3]

Planned attack

Franco Albrecht is accused of planning to carry out right wing motivated attacks against political opponents and false flag actions against asylum seekers to undermine the refugee policy of the German government. He successfully was recognized as an Syrian refugee in an asylum procedure. Although he does not speak Arabic, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) granted him limited protection following a hearing in French at the end of 2016.

According to the German Prosecutor General Albrecht was determined to carry out an act of domestic terrorism ("schwere staatsgefährdende Straftat") by assassinating the head of the Amadeu Antonio Foundation Anetta Kahane. According to the prosecution, his intent is proved by Albrecht scouting the location of the Amadeu Antonio Foundation in Berlin, and soon after acquiring a scope and training with it and his rifle. Albrecht is suspected of wanting to frame the intended attack on the refugee whose identity he faked. [4]

Albrecht had been detected with an illegally obtain pistol at Vienna Airport in February 2017.

On April 26, 2017, Lieutenant Franco Albrecht was taken in custody at a command course (Einzelkämpferlehrgang) at the United Nations Training Center of the Bundeswehr in Hammelburg.

The Federal Prosecutor's Office assumed that he planned a right wing terrorist attack under false flag, which should be charged to a fictional refugee. The German Federal Prosecutor's Office has filed charges against Franco Albrecht in December 2017. He was accused of "preparing a serious, state-damaging act of violence" at the Higher Regional Court in Frankfurt am Main. Albrecht was released from custody at the end of November 2017.[5] However, the Higher Regional Court of Frankfurt did not allow the prosecution, regarded only a part of the allegations as likely and opened the main trial "down" at the district court Darmstadt.

In addition, two other people were arrested in connection with the alleged attack plans, including the Bundeswehr soldier Maximilian T.. Maximilian T. is member of the right-wing party Alternative for Germany (AfD). In November 2017, all suspects were released due to lack of evidence.

In November 2019 the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) has instructed the Higher Regional Court of Frankfurt, to open a process against Franco Albrecht on the accused of "preparing a serious, state-damaging act of violence".[6]

Political debate and research committee

Investigations by Der Spiegel showed, Bundeswehr had in 2014 serious evidence of the extreme right-wing attitude of Franco Albrecht. After his arrest, the Ministry of Defense had previously claimed that until the investigation of the Frankfurt public prosecutor's office knew nothing of a right-wing outlook of Albrecht. Even during two security checks by the Military Counterintelligence Service(MAD) had never noticed anything during the eight-year career of the soldier. [7]

In May 2017 German Bundestag committee for interior investigated the circumstances of this case and interviewed Bundesinnenminister Thomas de Maizière (CDU) and Federal Office for Migration and Refugees-president Jutta Cordt.[8]

References
  1. "Neo-Nazi cell inside German army 'planned to blame terror attack on refugees'". The Independent. May 3, 2017.
  2. "Das Netzwerk des Franco A." onetz.de.
  3. Weiland, Severin (May 20, 2017). "Bundeswehrskandal: Der rechte Kosmos des Franco A." – via Spiegel Online.
  4. "Decision of Federal Court, August 22 2019" (PDF). Federal Court Germany. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  5. "Anklage gegen Franco A. erhoben". https://www.fr.de. December 12, 2017. External link in |website= (help)
  6. "BGH entscheidet Rechtsstreit. Doch Terrorprozess gegen Franco A." tageschau.de. Retrieved 2019-11-20.
  7. "Franco A. fiel früh als rechtsextrem auf". Die Zeit. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  8. Stoltenberg, Helmut. "Deutscher Bundestag - Ausschuss beriet über Fall 'Franco A.'". Deutscher Bundestag.
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