Identified as Matthias Moosdorf, the lawmaker denies the allegations, while authorities emphasize the strict ban on any Nazi references in Germany. The Berlin public prosecutor’s office has announced it is pressing charges against a member of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, accused of performing a Hitler salute inside the Bundestag. The alleged incident dates back to June 2023 and is said to have occurred at the eastern entrance of the Reichstag building.
According to a statement from the prosecutors, the MP reportedly “greeted a party colleague with a clicking of heels followed by a Hitler salute” – a gesture that is strictly prohibited under German law. German legislation forbids any display of Nazi symbols or gestures, an offense that can carry a prison sentence of up to three years.
The newspaper Bild identified the lawmaker as 60-year-old Matthias Moosdorf, who represents the city of Zwickau in the eastern state of Saxony. Prosecutors noted that the suspect “was aware that his gesture was visible to others present in the entrance area,” a key element in establishing the offense. Last October, Moosdorf was stripped of his parliamentary immunity, allowing legal proceedings to move forward. On Monday, however, he denied the accusations, stating on social media platform X that he had never performed a Nazi salute.
A member of the AfD since 2016, Moosdorf had until recently served as the party’s spokesperson on foreign policy matters. The case comes amid heightened vigilance by German authorities in response to the rise of the far right and the normalization of references to the Nazi regime – a particularly sensitive issue in a country marked by its historical legacy.
The prosecution of a federal lawmaker for such a gesture serves as a reminder of the strength of Germany’s legal framework in combating Nazi ideology and its symbols, even within democratic institutions.
