Dresden Man Charged with Election Fraud, Arson Attempts, and Drug Offenses

The 45-year-old faces 37 charges, including manipulating ballots, racially motivated arson attempts, and illegal possession of drugs and weapons, as the Dresden court considers opening a trial.

• The accused allegedly manipulated 281 ballots in municipal and state elections in 2024 to benefit the far-right party 'Freie Sachsen,' for which he was a candidate.
• He is charged with attempting to set fire to a former school building in Dresden-Klotzsche in 2023, intended to house refugees, motivated by far-right and racist ideology.
• Additional charges include growing cannabis, possessing crystal meth, distributing fentanyl, and illegal possession of weapons and pyrotechnics, including a brass knuckle.
• The Central Office for Extremism in Saxony took over the investigation in September 2024, leading to the man's arrest in late October 2024; he has been in custody since.
• A decision on whether to open the main trial is pending, while a separate case against an alleged accomplice in the arson attempts has been initiated.

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