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In 2025, the German Federal Prosecutor General’s office initiated 305 new proceedings, with 180 related to Islamist terrorism and 114 concerning foreign extremism.
“Right-wing extremism” accounted for just nine cases, and left-wing extremism only two. The data was disclosed in response to a parliamentary inquiry by Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) MP Martin Hess.
Most investigations focused on acts linked to international terrorist organizations, including the Islamic State (IS) and Taliban, with connections to Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. High-profile cases included arrests of alleged IS members, a Hamas weapons procurement network in Berlin, and the apprehension of a suspected Houthi operative.
According to federal data, nearly 99% of serious terrorism-related investigations in the first half of 2025 involved foreign nationals or Islamist extremists. Of 146 cases, 84 were tied to Islamist terrorism and 60 to other forms of foreign extremism.
Hess criticized what he described as the government’s wrong prioritization of security policy, linking the prevalence of Islamist and foreign extremist cases to Germany’s irresponsible liberal migration policies. He called for stricter enforcement measures, including deportation of dangerous foreigners and closing security gaps.
