Germany USA puts German "Antifa East" on terror list
US President Donald Trump's administration has placed the far-left German group "Antifa-Ost" on the terror list. The US State Department in Washington announced that three other groups from Europe would also be listed in future.
13.11.2025, 21:07
13.11.2025, 21:08
SDA
According to the statement, the "Antifa-Ost" association had carried out "numerous attacks against people it considers to be "fascists" or part of the "right-wing scene" in Germany" between 2018 and 2023. The group is also accused of having "carried out a series of attacks in Budapest in mid-February 2023". According to the statement, the other groups operated mainly in Italy and Greece.
The US terror list also includes groups such as the Islamist Hamas, al-Qaeda and the Shia militia Hezbollah. The classification in the USA means that members are no longer allowed to enter the country, possible investments are frozen and business relationships with them are punishable by law.
"Antifa" has no clear hierarchies
In September, Trump also declared Antifa structures in the USA to be terrorist organizations - a step whose legal basis was unclear, as these classifications in the USA actually only apply to foreign organizations. According to non-profit research institutes and civil rights organizations in the USA, the Antifa movement does not have a fixed organizational structure and does not communicate any clear hierarchies. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution has come to a similar conclusion for Germany.
Critics warn that the label "Antifa" could theoretically also be applied to political opponents who criticize Trump within the legally protected framework.
Alleged "Antifa Ost" members have been charged in Germany and Hungary
In Germany, the federal prosecutor's office in Düsseldorf brought charges against six suspected members of the group in July. The Karlsruhe authority accuses them of being involved in attacks on actual and alleged right-wing extremists in Budapest in February 2023.
The accused are charged with membership of a criminal organization, dangerous bodily harm and attempted murder, among other things. Seven other members are on trial before the Dresden Higher Regional Court, some of them also for attempted murder.
Maja T., another possible member of the group, is on trial in Budapest for alleged assaults that also took place during the protests in February 2023. T. is facing a sentence of up to 24 years in prison and the trial is due to continue in January. T. complains about poor prison conditions and therefore went on a hunger strike for around 40 days in June.
There are different classifications
When classifying terrorists, the USA differentiates between Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT) and Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO). The distinction plays a role in the associated sanctions. Initially, the four European groups are to be classified as "SDGTs", but it is also planned to classify them as "FTOs". This should be the case from November 20.
