Austrian far-right leader Sellner to appeal ban from entering Germany
The former head of the far-right Identitarian movement in Austria, Martin Sellner, was banned on Tuesday from entering Germany, but he said he would appeal the decision.
Sellner, in a video on X (formerly Twitter), confirmed the ban and his plans to appeal. He described the move as the "nuclear weapon of the entry ban" and called it "completely excessive" and an offence against the free democratic basic order. German law is "being interpreted in a completely distorted way" he added.
He said he expects appeal proceedings to take up to two months.
Sellner, who said he is currently in Austria, does not have plans to travel to Germany and his upcoming appearances have been cancelled. He said he reserved the right to take other steps if legal action is unsuccessful.
Someone subject to a ban who enters Germany after it has taken effect can be quickly deported. In addition, entering in spite of a ban is a criminal offence.
Potsdam initiated entry ban proceedings against the high-profile Austrian white supremacist last month after he attended a far-right meeting in the city in November.
Participants discussed "remigration" - namely deporting large numbers of people of foreign origin, even under duress.
The meeting was attended by members of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which is riding high in opinion polls ahead of regional elections in three eastern German states in September.
People across Germany have since held demonstrations against the far right, and the AfD has been continually called out in parliament about the meeting, which appears to have partly hit its national poll ratings.
Potsdam Mayor Mike Schubert said in a statement on Tuesday: "We must show that the state is not powerless and uses legitimate means. The demonstrations and rallies were an important signal. We are making it clear that democracy is resilient. The institutions must protect fundamental rights."
Authorities in a regional state are generally responsible for refusing entry into Germany, though the federal police would have to enforce the nationwide ban as part of border controls.
