The federal public prosecutor’s office is primarily focusing its investigations on Islamism and foreign terrorism, according to a report by the “Welt” referencing a response from Federal Minister of Justice Anette Kramme to an inquiry from the Green parliamentary group. Concurrently, investigations targeting so-called “Reich citizens” remain high-profile, while cases related to sabotage and espionage have shown a significant increase since 2024. In contrast, cases involving suspected left- or right-wing extremists are comparatively less frequent in Karlsruhe.
Regarding espionage and sabotage, the Federal Prosecutor General (GBA) initiated a total of 16 cases in 2024 against 24 suspects, mainly concerning espionage for foreign intelligence agencies. This figure rose to four additional cases in 2025, and the office is currently handling a total of 20 such investigations. According to Green expert on internal matters Irene Mihalic speaking to the “Welt” “The increase since 2024 is worrying. It shows what kinds of external threats we are confronted with”.
In the area of Islamist terrorism, the GBA is currently managing 269 cases involving 347 suspects, predominantly related to membership in terrorist organizations. In 2024, 125 new cases were launched, while in 2025, the number rose to 180. Many of these cases pertain to acts linked to the terrorist militia IS or the Taliban in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
Right-wing extremist structures are also a focus. In 2025, the GBA initiated nine new cases, bringing the total number of pending cases to twelve involving 35 suspects. Furthermore, the number of investigations against the so-called “Reich citizens” has risen sharply: after three cases the previous year, a total of 78 new investigations were opened in 2025. Central to these cases is a network accused of planning a violent overthrow and attacks on infrastructure.
For left-wing extremism, the GBA launched two new cases in 2025 involving eleven suspects, bringing the cumulative total to 28 cases against 32 suspects. Some of these cases relate to alleged activities of the RAF from previous decades. While attacks on critical infrastructure are often attributed to left-wing extremists, investigators have not established any connections to Russia.