Arrests on Counts of Espionage and Membership in the Foreign Terrorist Organisation ‘Donetsk People's Republic (DPR)’, Among Others

Year of issue 2024
Date 18.04.2024

Yesterday (17 April 2024), the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office had agents of the Federal Criminal Police Office arrest the German-Russian nationals

Dieter S. and
Alexander J.

in Bayreuth in execution of arrest warrants of 9 and 11 April 2024 issued by the Investigating Judge at the Federal Court of Justice. In addition, the suspects’ apartments and work places were searched with the support of the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office.

According to the arrest warrants of 9 April 2024, Dieter S. and Alexander J. are strongly suspected of especially serious espionage for an intelligence service of a foreign power (section 99 paras. 1 and 2 of the German Criminal Code [StGB], regarding Dieter S. also in conjunction with section 1 para. 1 no. 4 of the NATO Forces Protection Act [NTSG]). Dieter S. is furthermore alleged to have conspired to cause an explosion and arson (section 30 para. 2 in conjunction with section 308 para. 1, section 306 para. 1 StGB), acting as a secret agent for purposes of sabotage (section 87 para. 1 nos. 1 and 2, section 2 no. 1 StGB) and endangering national security by taking pictures and recording videos of military installations (section 109g para. 1 StGB).

In essence, the arrest warrants set out the following facts:

Dieter S. is in contact with an individual associated with a Russian intelligence agency. Since no later than October 2023, they discussed potential acts of sabotage in Germany. Such acts were aimed specifically at undermining military support from Germany to Ukraine in its efforts against Russia’s war of aggression. In this context, the suspect informed his contact that he was willing to carry out explosives and arson attacks targeting in particular military infrastructure and industrial sites in Germany. Therefore, Dieter S. gathered information about potential targets, including US military facilities. Alexander J. assisted him no later than March 2024. Dieter S. spied out some facilities, taking photographs and recording videos of military transports and equipment. He shared the gathered intelligence with his contact.

Yesterday (17 April 2024), Dieter S. was brought before the Investigating Judge at the Federal Court of Justice who read out the arrest warrant of 9 April 2024 to him and decided for pre-trial detention to be put into effect.

At the same time, the Investigating Judge at the Federal Court of Justice informed the Dieter S. of another arrest warrant of 11 April 2024. Said arrest warrant was issued on suspicion of membership in a foreign terrorist organisation (section 129a para. 1 no. 1 StGB, section 129b para. 1 sentences 1 and 2 StGB) and preparation of a serious violent offence endangering the state (section 89a para. 2 no. 2, section 3 StGB). Based on the facts established to date, Dieter S. is strongly suspected of fighting in an armed unit of the ‘Donetsk People's Republic (DPR)’ and of having a firearm at his disposal. DPR is a pro-Russian organisation that, from February 2014 onwards, claimed control over the oblast Donetsk with the intention to break away from Ukraine and engaged in intense battles with the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In doing so, the organisation repeatedly resorted to violence against the civilian population as well.

Alexander J. will be brought before the Investigating Judge at the Federal Court of Justice today (18 April 2024).