Seven teenagers sentenced for neo‑Nazi attacks in Hamburg

A Hamburg court on Tuesday sentenced seven individuals linked to the far‑right militant group known as the "Last Wave of Defence" to prison terms ranging from two years and four months up to five years. The defendants were between fourteen and twenty‑one years old at the time of their arrest and were convicted of belonging to a terrorist organisation, attempted murder and arson.

The attacks

In October 2024 the cell set fire to a cultural centre in the eastern town of Altdoebern. Three months later they launched fireworks into a refugee shelter in Schmoelln and painted Nazi symbols on its exterior, both incidents occurring while occupants were inside the buildings. Police first detained suspects in May of the previous year. A second series of raids in March this year targeted ten additional alleged participants while the trial was already under way.

Trial and sentencing

Most of the proceedings were held behind closed doors because several defendants were minors when the offences were committed. The presiding judge remarked that it was "only by chance that no one was killed or injured in their attacks". The prosecution described the perpetrators as acting "with contempt for human life, driven by a worldview that dehumanises anyone they consider foreign or politically opposed".

Legal context and debate

Under German juvenile law the maximum custodial sentence is capped at five years, a limit that has prompted politicians to question whether it is sufficient for terrorism‑related crimes. The court’s sentences therefore represent the longest terms legally possible for the ages involved.

Broader security concerns

German security agencies have warned that the radicalisation of minors is increasingly taking place on encrypted messaging services and gaming platforms. Intelligence services note that far‑right groups are recruiting via social media, video‑game chats and music scenes, evading traditional surveillance. The domestic intelligence agency has placed several related groups under observation, suggesting that the "Last Wave of Defence" may be only a visible segment of a larger youth militancy problem.

Investigators continue to analyse the wider network uncovered in the March raids and anticipate further charges as the inquiry progresses.