Hamburg court sentences far-right 'Letzte Verteidigungswelle' members to up to five years in prison
A Hamburg court sentenced eight young members of the far-right 'Letzte Verteidigungswelle' group over a series of violent attacks aimed at migrants and left-wing targets. Seven received custodial juvenile sentences of up to five years and one an 18-month suspended term.
The Hanseatische Oberlandesgericht in Hamburg handed down prison sentences on Wednesday to eight members and supporters of the far-right extremist group 'Letzte Verteidigungswelle' (Last Defense Wave). Seven were given custodial sentences under juvenile criminal law, ranging from two years and four months to five years; the eighth received a suspended sentence of a year and a half. Three were also convicted of acting as ringleaders. The convictions cover attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, arson, dangerous bodily harm and membership of a terrorist organisation.
The defendants
All eight convicted individuals were youths or young adults at the time of their crimes, aged between 14 and 21. Because of their youth, the trial was conducted entirely without public access after the initial reading of the indictment in March 2026.
The group's activities
According to the federal prosecutor's office, the group planned and carried out arson and explosive attacks targeting asylum seekers' accommodations and left-wing facilities. The 'Letzte Verteidigungswelle' aimed to overthrow the democratic order through violent acts against migrants and political opponents.
The suspects were also accused of building bombs from fireworks and engaging in physical assaults. Additionally, group members reportedly engaged in so-called 'Pädo-Hunting,' pursuing individuals they believed to be pedophiles.
A close call
The attacks included an arson attack on a cultural centre in Altdöbern, Brandenburg, in October 2024 and a pyrotechnics attack on a refugee shelter in Schmölln, Thuringia, in January 2025. In the Altdöbern case the operator couple and their young daughter, who were sleeping in an adjacent building, escaped injury only by chance, and the attempted murder charge relates directly to that incident.
Convictions
The heaviest term was five years, imposed under juvenile criminal law, which applied because of the defendants' ages. The convictions rested on membership of a terrorist organisation and attempted murder, with three defendants also found to have been ringleaders.
