The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office announced the arrest of two suspected members of the terrorist organization “Brigade N’Hamedu Deutschland” on Tuesday. The arrests took place near Saarbrücken and in Stuttgart, according to the Karlsruhe authorities. The suspects are Merhawi A., an Eritrean national, and Shimangus T., a German national. Both individuals are suspected of membership in a domestic terrorist organization. Additionally, Merhawi A. is accused of two counts of public disorder.
The “Brigade N’Hamedu Deutschland” was established in August 2022 with the goal of overthrowing the government in Eritrea. The group had international connections and carried out violent actions in Germany against followers of the Eritrean government. These actions included attacks on German state institutions and police forces. Several incidents resulted in violent clashes, leading to injuries among police officers and event participants. In the summer of 2024, the group announced it would stop engaging in violent unrest outside of Eritrea.
According to investigators, Merhawi A. joined the association in August 2022 and assumed the role of General Secretary in early 2023. Shimangus T. joined the group in November 2022 and became its chairman. The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office states that both individuals played a “decisive” role in building the structures of the “Brigade N’Hamedu Deutschland” and organizing violent actions. Merhawi A. is reported to have been active in the riots in Gießen and led a group of attackers there. Both suspects are scheduled to be presented to the investigative judge of the Federal Court of Justice on Tuesday, who will decide on the enforcement of pre-trial detention.
