Prosecutors in Berlin have filed an indictment against Matthias Moosdorf, a Bundestag member from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, on suspicion of using symbols of unconstitutional organizations.
The charges relate to allegations that he stamped his heels and made the so-called Hitler salute., which is strictly prohibited by law in Germany, towards another party member, in the Bundestag cloakroom, in June 2023, in the presence of other people.
Moosdorf, 60, from the eastern state of Saxony, has denied the allegations, calling them "strange" and "absurd," Deutsche Welle writes.
The Bundestag lifted Moosdorf's parliamentary immunity over the matter in October.
He joined the AfD in 2016 and until recently served as the party's foreign policy spokesperson, as well as leading its foreign policy working group, which is known for its openly pro-Russian stances.
In October 2024, it was announced that Moosdorf, a cellist by profession, had been honored with an honorary professorship in Moscow.
In September, the party fined him 2.000 euros for unauthorized trips to Russia.