Police search employee's home linked to AfD candidate ahead of Berlin election
Days before Berlin's state election, police searched the home of an aide to the far-right AfD's Berlin list leader Christine Brinker, though suspicions of weapons violations were not confirmed; reports say drugs and Nazi-era memorabilia were found.
Berlin prosecutors confirmed that police searched the home of a 48-year-old man employed by Christine Brinker, the lead candidate of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Berlin's state parliament election. The raid took place days before the September 20 vote, in which AfD is polling at roughly 20 percent, running neck and neck with the Christian Democrats (CDU) and the Left Party.
Suspicions unconfirmed
According to prosecutors, the man had been suspected of violating laws on explosives and weapons. However, the search did not turn up evidence confirming that suspicion. Investigators did seize other items that will undergo forensic examination.
Media reports indicate that investigators found drugs and Nazi-era memorabilia in the man's home.
AfD response
The party has already commented on the case. According to the tabloid Bild, Brinker said her employee is "simply a collector" and that she never had reason to believe he held such views.
Local elections are being held on September 20 in both Berlin and the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Separately, it recently emerged that Kirill Dmitriev, a top economic envoy for Russian President Vladimir Putin, and AfD leadership have begun preparing for a meeting next year to discuss resuming Russian gas supplies to Germany.
