German police raids target group accused of far-right plot to overthrow state

Minor aristocrat, an ex-paratrooper and a former AfD MP among those detained in operation

• Key figures behind alleged plot to overthrow German government

An alleged far-right plot led by a German aristocrat to overthrow the state that sought the backing of the Russian government has been thwarted in Germany, after a series of dawn raids across the country.

Twenty-five people including a 71-year-old prince, a retired military commander, and an acting judge and former MP for the far-right Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) were planning a violent overthrow of the state, including an armed attack on the parliament, inspired by the storming of the US Capitol, according to prosecutors.