The German army is investigating 275 suspected cases of right-wing extremism within its ranks, according to a report by Germany’s international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) on Monday.
The Military Counterintelligence Service of Germany has reviewed 143 cases from 2016 and a further 53 cases from this year so far. The remainder of the investigations stem from before 2016, German news agency Deutsche-Presse Agentur reported.Most of the investigations are related to propaganda crimes and racist commentary on the internet. For instance, a soldier wrote abusive messages to a refugee after asking her whether she was Christian or Muslim, according to the news agency.
Another soldier expressed his admiration for the Nazi leader, who was heard distinctively saying “Heil Hitler,” “Heil our leader” and “Sieg Heil, comrades.”A serviceman extended his hand in a Nazi salute while on a trip to Riga, Latvia.The German Defense Ministry said a number of soldiers involved in the probe have already been laid off or punished with a fine, but the measures seem inadequate to the offense.Ulla Jelpke, a speaker for the Left Party in German parliament, described the military’s handling of right-wing extremism as “highly problematic,” the DW reported.”Whoever turns out to be a Hitler fan needs to get out of the army,” Jelpke was quoted as saying by the DW.
Source: Xinhua/NewsGhana.com.gh
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