SHARE
COPY LINK

CRIME

German court jails far-right activist who sold guns online

A German court Tuesday sentenced a far-right activist to jail after he illegally sold guns online from Hungary urging potential buyers to defend themselves against immigrants.

German court jails far-right activist who sold guns online
Photo: DPA

Mario Rönsch, 35, who was arrested in Budapest in 2016 on a European arrest warrant, received a term of two years and 10 months.

Because he can still appeal the verdict, he was allowed to leave the court but will have to regularly report to police.

Rönsch in 2016 set up several websites labelled “Migrantenschreck” (Migrants' fright) on which he urged buyers to “arm themselves against refugees”.

SEE ALSO: Hungarian police arrest German over online anti-migrant gun store

He sold 167 of the permit-requiring firearms which fire high-velocity rubber bullets that can hurt or even kill, earning almost 100,000, which were confiscated.

Rönsch admitted to the internet sales but claimed ignorance he had broken German law and voiced no contrition or regret, the court found.

The judge pointed out that Rönsch had advertised the weapons as capable of “taking down asylum seekers”, a “seditious” sales pitch that took advantage of racist sentiments “in a particularly insidious way”.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

CRIME

German Die Linke politician attacked in Thuringia

A politician from Germany's socialist Die Linke party was insulted and attacked in a supermarket in Eisenberg, Thuringia on Friday.

German Die Linke politician attacked in Thuringia

At the supermarket checkout, a man insulted the party’s state election candidate Steffen Much without reason and grabbed him by his T-shirt, the party’s regional association said on Saturday.

Much was unharmed, according to party sources, and filed a police report against the attacker, who he knew.

“I am glad that Steffen Much was not physically harmed,” said the co-chairman of the Left Party’s regional association, Christian Schaft.

“Insults and attacks like these are intended to intimidate everyone who is committed to an open and democratic society.”

There have been several attacks on politicians across the country recently.

READ ALSO: German far-right AfD candidate attacked with knife in Mannheim

The Thuringia state elections take place on 1 September.

SHOW COMMENTS