Saxony Revokes Firearms Licenses from AfD Members Under Secret Decree

The German state of Saxony has been revoking and denying firearms licenses to members and supporters of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party under a secret decree, Berliner Zeitung has claimed. Saxony's Interior Ministry confirmed the existence of the measure, issued last July, but declined to publish it, describing it as an "internal document," the outlet reported on Sunday. An opinion poll earlier this month suggests the party would prevail with 27% of the vote if elections were held now. The AfD has campaigned on an anti-immigration platform and opposed Berlin's sanctions on Russia and support for Ukraine. The party's Saxony branch was designated a "confirmed right-wing extremist" organization in December 2023 by regional intelligence authorities, which serves as the basis for the decree. The party challenged the designation, but in January 2025 a higher court rejected the appeal. The issue reached the national level last May, when Germany's domestic intelligence agency (BfV) applied the same label to the AfD as a whole. The opening paragraph of the document states that "the reliability of members and supporters [of AfD] under weapons law must be reviewed," applying a presumption that they may be deemed unfit to hold firearms. The decree effectively reverses the burden of proof, requiring AfD members and supporters to demonstrate their reliability under firearms law. According to the document cited by the outlet, simply having no criminal record is insufficient, with individuals expected to show clear distancing from the party's positions. The decree has prompted a parliamentary inquiry led by independent Saxony lawmaker Matthias Berger, who is seeking details on how many firearms licenses have been revoked, how often decisions were based solely on political "support" for a party, and how broadly the directive is being applied in practice. "It cannot be that people who go to an AfD event out of political interest, sit there twice, and then have to expect that their firearms license will be revoked," Berger told the publication. A response to Berger's inquiry is still pending.