Fewer right-wing attacks in Germany 2017
July 6, 2018
Germany's domestic security agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), was cited by newspapers in the Funke media group on Friday.
The report said the cause of the reduction of right-wing inspired violence and attacks was in part due to heavy sentences imposed by the courts.
The number of recorded individual injuries in 2017 from right-wing attacks fell by more than 30 percent in comparison to 2016, according to the report. The number of arson attacks fell by 60 percent and attacks on asylum shelters fell by more than 70 percent.
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Risk remains
However, the BfV expressed concern over the networking and cooperation of right-wing extremists across Europe, which have "intensified in the recent past."
Neo-Nazis from Italy, Austria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia were known to have attended right-wing concerts in Germany.
German extremists had taken part in neo-Nazi marches in Athens, Budapest and Sofia, according to the report.
The report said the BfV warned of a "persistently high risk potential" from right-wing extremists.
Fewer attacks on asylum centers
The Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung cited Federal Criminal Police (BKA) provisional figures when it reported there had been 74 attacks on asylum centers in the first half of 2018.
In 72 of the cases, authorities had identified a connection to radical right-wing individuals or groups, according to the report.
Most of the incidents involved property damage, graffiti or propaganda, but there were also attacks and violent crimes.
The figures for 2017 also showed a sharp drop from the previous year. In the first half of 2016 more than 700 attacks on asylum accomodation had been reported across the country. In the first half of 2017 there had been 170 attacks.
The BKA recorded 13 violations of the Explosives Act in 2017 which it attributed to right-wing extremists. In eight other cases, crimes of "causing an explosion," were attributed to right-wing elements.
jm/ng (kna, dpa, Reuters)