AfD in Brandenburg takes back suit against the intelligence service

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the eastern state of Brandenburg is taking back its lawsuit against a domestic intelligence agency which had classified it as a suspected far-right extremist party six years ago, justice authorities said Friday.

The announcement was made by the Potsdam Administrative Court.

The lawsuit also referred to a mention in official reports in 2019 and 2020 by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, which is the official name of the domestic intelligence agency.

The court said that oral arguments scheduled for January 14 and 15 will be cancelled.

The state chairman of the AfD in Brandenburg, René Springer, explained the reasons for the move: "With the classification as 'confirmed right-wing extremist' that has now taken place, the previous lawsuits against the observation as a suspected case have been settled."

There was no longer any legal basis for the proceedings, he added. The withdrawal of the lawsuit was a formal step following what Springer called a "politically motivated escalation."

"The decisive question remains the new classification," Springer asserted.

According to the court, the Brandenburg AfD's lawsuit against the classification of the regional association as a confirmed right-wing extremist organisation in 2025 will continue to be reviewed.

A date for a hearing has not yet been set.