BERLIN, Nov 25, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Seven alleged members of the German far-left militant group Antifa Ost go on trial Tuesday accused of attacks targeting right-wing extremists that earned them the nickname "Hammer Gang".

The United States this month designated Antifa Ost as a terrorist group along with several other European far-left and anarchist groups.

German prosecutors charge the group was behind attacks on targets in Germany and Hungary between 2018 and 2023.

The owner of a restaurant in the central state of Thuringia which served as a meeting point for right-wing activists is alleged to have been attacked twice.

Some of the suspects also allegedly targeted presumed right-wing extremists with hammers, leaving some severely injured.

The trial of the six men and one woman is expected to run until July 2026 in the eastern city of Dresden.

Two of the suspects, partially identified as Johann G. and Paul M., are also accused of attacking and injuring several people in the Hungarian capital Budapest in February 2023 around the so-called Day of Honour -- an annual event drawing right-wing extremists from across Europe.

Another German activist, Maja T., is currently on trial in Hungary over four counts of attempted assault targeting neo-Nazis in the lead-up to the same rally in 2023.

Ex-communist eastern Germany has long been a hotbed for far-right and anti-immigrant youth groups, but also for the often militant antifascist groups that oppose them.

- US crackdown on 'antifa' -

Johann G. is described by prosecutors as a high-ranking member of Antifa Ost, responsible for planning attacks and recruiting accomplices.

Together with Paul M., he is accused of organising training sessions where left-wing extremists practised combat techniques and rehearsed attacks.

In depots managed by Paul M., the group is said to have stockpiled hammers, pepper spray, disguises and mobile phones.

Another militant who was active in the group, Lina E., became a cause celebre in some far-left activist circles after her conviction in 2023 over attacks on presumed far-right targets.

The United States announced its designation of Antifa Ost earlier this month, part of President Donald Trump's broad crackdown on "antifa" activists who strenuously oppose him.

The designation makes group members ineligible to enter the United States, freezes any assets they may have in the world's largest economy and makes it a crime to provide material support to them.

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) welcomed the US decision and urged the government in Berlin to follow suit.

However, the German foreign ministry simply said it had "taken note" of the US designation.

An interior ministry spokeswoman said this month that "the threat posed by the (Antifa Ost) group has recently decreased significantly".

"The ringleaders and particularly violent members of the group have either already been convicted or are in custody," she said.