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Saxony's Interior Minister: No automatic withdrawal of weapons

Saxony's Interior Minister: No automatic withdrawal of weapons
Saxony's Interior Minister Armin Schuster has once again clarified the regulations for gun confiscation in the state. (Archive image) / Photo: Sebastian Kahnert/dpa
From: DieSachsen News
In Saxony, AfD membership alone does not automatically lead to the withdrawal of a weapon. What Interior Minister Schuster says about the current regulation and the role of the weapons authorities.

Mere membership of the AfD is still not a reason for gun confiscation. A "stubborn automatism would not do justice to the matter", explained Interior Minister Armin Schuster in an interview with the "Leipziger Volkszeitung" and the "Sächsische Zeitung". "This means that not every hunter or marksman is under suspicion simply because they are a member. For consequences under weapons law, there must be more to assume unreliability."

Reliability is the top priority for weapons permits

The federal Weapons Act also regulates the conditions for owning a weapon. Owners must be reliable. Reliability is no longer given, for example, if they belong to an extremist organization or support it in a relevant way. The Saxon AfD regional association has been classified as a right-wing extremist organization by the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution. Although the party has taken legal action against this, it has so far been unsuccessful.

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Decree from the Ministry of the Interior aims to guarantee the same standard

In a decree, Saxony's Ministry of the Interior provided the weapons authorities with guidance to ensure that they do not all apply a different standard. Hunters and sport shooters in the Free State felt they were under general suspicion. Schuster conceded that courts in Germany had made various rulings on the matter. "Even the federal-state working group of the Conference of Interior Ministers on this topic, which was set up a year ago, has not yet been able to agree on a uniform line."

"People who sympathize with the AfD or vote for the party are not yet relevant supporters in terms of the decree. But others who significantly help the party - whether it's putting up election posters, borrowing vehicles or providing rooms - cannot avoid us taking a very close look," emphasized Schuster. That is the aim of the federal law. The weapons authorities in Saxony would also continue to adhere to this.

Schuster: identify genuine threats

According to Schuster, the aim is to identify "genuine threats". The weapons authorities would have to carry out a regular check with the Office for the Protection of the Constitution when issuing or renewing weapons permits. "It's quite clear that it's not enough to have expressed a potentially politically conspicuous opinion in order to come under scrutiny. No, an extremist connection must be established - only in such cases can the Office for the Protection of the Constitution become active."

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