CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler interviewed: "The primary planning tool was online, chat fora. There were a couple of physical meetings where they tried to recruit members of the police and military forces, but all of the primary planning was done online. This means messenger services and social media, which really don't have the controls in place to hinder or in any way bother people planning these things. This is not the very first time that something similar like this has been discovered in Germany..."

"LEAD STORY: German police foil coup plot. Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler, Sr. Director, at CEP explains. ALSO, Alireza Jafarzadeh, Deputy Director, NCRI-US says Iran's Morality Police are still active. AND, a Ukraine War Update with Yuriy Sak, Advisor to Ukraine's Minister of Defense."

CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler interviewed: "This was one of the, if not the, largest counterterrorism operation on German soil since 1945. 3,000 police officers in 130 different locations, arresting 25 individuals, 27 individuals under further investigation on top of that. It was surprising as far as the scope and the scale is concerned. But, unfortunately, this is not the only violent cell that has been discovered from the broader violent right-wing extremist spectrum in Germany over the last couple of years. Since 2019, the Federal Ministry of the Interior has consistently judged that violent right-wing extremism is the largest domestic threat against security and this morning really brought home that point again." 

CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler joined BBC Scotland's The Nine to discuss the Reichsbürger movement, amid news that German authorities arrested 25 individuals suspected of plotting to overthrow Germany's government. The suspects were alleged Reichsbürger members, with elements of QAnon, as well as a former MP for far-right party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD).  

CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler interviewed for the top news story on BBC World Service's Newshour: "German authorities say they were preparing to overthrow the government. The plotters include members of the so-called 'Reichsburger' movement, which rejects the legitimacy of the modern German state, and conspiracy theorists who subscribe to Q'Anon ideology."

"For this group, however, the main reason for participating in the war would not be to help the Ukrainian army against the Russian offensive, but to gain military experience. 'Some right-wing extremists have seen the war in Ukraine as an opportunity to gain combat experience that would otherwise not be available to them,' Joshua Fisher-Birch, a far-right expert and analyst at the Counter Extremism Project, tells VICE." 

"Joshua Fisher-Birch, an expert and analyst on the far-right at the Counter-Extremism Project, said some extremists may see the conflict as a chance to become battle hardened and gain military skills.

'Some right-wing extremists have viewed the war in Ukraine as an opportunity to gain critical combat experience which would otherwise be unavailable to them,' said Fisher-Birch, pointing out that war experience can also help boost their cachet within the movement at home. 'Combat experience not only serves the purpose of increasing their own capabilities but passing those skill sets along to others in their movement.'"

"Security officials in Germany have visited known far-right extremists to warn them not to travel to fight in Ukraine. It is one method western states are using to discourage extremists from taking up arms amid fears returning right-wing fighters will pose a security threat. In a webinar hosted by the Counter Extremism Project, experts warned European nations to prepare for the fallout."