Franco A.: A German Right-Wing Extremist Soldier's Double Life

Austrian authorities let Franco A. go and German authorities began an undercover investigation, during which they found evidence of his far-right ideology in recordings, videos, and tens of thousands of texts on messaging services used by Franco A. 

He was charged with “preparation of a serious act of violent subversion,” i.e. suspicion of terrorism, but let go. 

Federal prosecutors believe the weapons were to be used in attacks on politicians and public figures who Franco A. considered to be “refugee friendly.” Authorities found lists with the names of then-Justice Minister Heiko Maas, then-vice president of the German parliament, Claudia Roth, and human rights activist Anetta Kahane, among others. Authorities assume his plan was that the violent acts would be attributed to his false Syrian identity. 

Bundeswehr with Right-Wing Tendencies?
In 2017, First Lieutenant Franco A. was a member of the French-German 291st Infantry Battalion stationed in Illkirch, near Strasbourg. Before becoming a soldier he handed in a master’s thesis at a French military academy about “race-mixing,” and the “dissolution of ethnic groups.” In 2014, the French warned their German colleagues about the man’s right-wing ideological bent, and a German historian concurred with the French assessment. 

But his superiors in the Bundeswehr simply issued a warning, and he submitted a new version of the thesis. The Bundeswehr also failed to notify the military intelligence service (MAD) about the incident. 

Germany’s then-Defense Minister, Ursula von der Leyen, initially reacted to the scandal by condemning what she called a “false understanding of esprit de corps.” She then visited Franco A.’s barracks in Illkirch, accompanied by journalists from Berlin, where a hand-painted swastika as well as memorabilia from Germany’s Nazi-era army, the Wehrmacht, had been found. 

Von der Leyen then ordered all Bundeswehr barracks to be inspected and decided to revise the so-called Traditionserlass (edict of tradition) in an attempt to further distance the current German military from the Wehrmacht’s war crimes. 

As of spring 2018, individuals from earlier armies may only be deemed worthy of honor if they exemplify the values of today’s Bundeswehr. 

The Bundeswehr has since remained in the headlines over alleged far-right extremism in the ranks. In July 2020, the Defense Ministry dismantled a company of the German army’s elite Special Commando Forces (KSK)after several far-right incidents were reported. The Bundeswehr special forces later made the headlines again when it emerged that it was failing to track down missing weapons. 

In the meantime, Franco A.’s affiliations began to emerge. Maximilian T., his friend and fellow soldier in the Bundeswehr, was drawn into the investigation, which caused a political stir because he also worked part-time for parliamentarian Jan Nolte from the far-right populist Alternative for Germany (AfD). The MP told DW in 2018 he saw Maximilian T. as a “victim of a politically motivated attack.” 

Errors by the Refugee Authority
Franco A.’s case remains unique, however, because of his attempts to pose as a Syrian refugee. In November 2015, Franco A. applied for asylum at the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) as David Benjamin, claiming to be from near Aleppo, northern Syria. 

His 2016 asylum hearing was held in French. He had said he was a Christian, could speak French better than Arabic, and felt threatened in his home country. He received subsidiary 

protection status and started receiving benefits as an asylum seeker, in addition to his full-time job as a professional soldier in Alsace, 300 kilometers (186 miles) away. 

The refugee office later admitted “blatant mistakes” had been made at every stage of the proceedings, but did not find evidence of any “deliberate manipulation.” 

The BAMF later carried out follow-up investigations in 2,000 cases of Syrian and Afghan refugees, and issued an all-clear regarding security standards. 

The start of the trial was delayed several times over questions about which court had jurisdiction over the case. Trial proceedings against Franco A. have turned out to be tricky, as there are dozens of relevant files with complicated and contradictory information, and there is little clear evidence that he really was planning to carry out an attack under his Syrian identity. 

If convicted, Franco A. could face up to 10 years in prison. 

Ben Knight is a DW reporter. Andrea Grunau reports from Bavaria for DW. This article is published courtesy of Deutsche Welle (DW).