German prosecutors investigate AfD lawmaker Sebastian Koch over weapons found in raid

Weapons discovered during extremist sect raid

The public prosecutor office in Halle opened an investigation against newly elected Saxony-Anhalt state parliament lawmaker Sebastian Koch of Alternative for Germany (AfD) on suspicion of violating the German Weapons Act. The formal proceedings originate from a police search conducted in late August 2026, during which law enforcement officers uncovered weapons in the politician's possession. A spokesperson for the prosecution described the seizure as an accidental find during an operation connected to a banned right-wing extremist organization. Investigators located and confiscated two air rifles alongside one blank-firing gun stored inside a locked compartment on the premises. Koch's defense lawyer confirmed the discovery of the firearms, stating that his client handed over the items to police officers immediately upon request.

Multi-state raids on banned Artgemeinschaft

The initial late August search formed part of a coordinated multi-state investigation into 15 individuals suspected of continuing the organizational activities of a banned extremist sect known as the Artgemeinschaft. Police forces conducted search operations across properties in five federal states, comprising Saxony-Anhalt, Berlin, Brandenburg, Lower Saxony, and North Rhine-Westphalia. The enforcement action placed Koch and another regional AfD politician, Simon Lansmann, under formal investigation for suspected violations of the German ban on unconstitutional associations. Both Koch and Lansmann ran for political office shortly after the searches, winning direct constituency mandates in the Saxony-Anhalt state parliamentary election on the following Sunday. Both politicians are scheduled to take their seats among the 39 AfD lawmakers entering the state parliament in Magdeburg.

Legal defense and domestic intelligence background

Through their legal representative, Koch and Lansmann denied being members of the Artgemeinschaft and stated that they distance themselves entirely from the organization's ideology. Koch rejected all criminal allegations brought against him regarding both the association ban proceedings and the new weapons inquiry. According to his defense attorney, Koch declined to state the intended purpose of the two air rifles and the blank-firing weapon while the legal investigation remains open. State prosecutors in Halle are currently reviewing digital storage devices and documents confiscated during the August raids to gather further evidence. Koch, who serves as the chairman of the AfD district association in Altmark-West, has been known to state security authorities for years. An internal evaluation compiled by the domestic intelligence service in 2019 recorded that Koch had appeared in neo-Nazi contexts.

Administrative rulings and ongoing proceedings

The organization at the center of the initial inquiry, formally named Artgemeinschaft (Germanische Glaubens-Gemeinschaft wesensgemäßer Lebensgestaltung), was banned nationwide by the Federal Ministry of the Interior in 2023. The interior ministry classified the group as unconstitutional, citing its racist ideology as the primary rationale for the prohibition. The weapons investigation against Koch coincides with tightened legal standards regarding firearm possession for members of the AfD in the state. The Higher Administrative Court of Saxony-Anhalt recently determined that revoking gun ownership permits from AfD members is legally permissible under existing state regulations. The public prosecutor in Halle confirmed that criminal investigations into both the suspected weapons law violations and the breach of the association ban remain active.