German reservist held for sharing politicians' details with right-wing radicals

In February, a 43-year-old racist shot dead nine people with immigrant backgrounds in the town of Hanau before killing his mother and himself. A report by the military counterintelligence service in March said Germany had uncovered eight right-wing radicals in the armed forces, as well as 27 individuals with reservations about the post-war democratic constitution.

The German military has found a list of the private addresses of senior politicians in the possession of a reservist suspected of right-wing radicalism, Spiegel magazine reported on Monday, citing security sources. It said the sergeant in the reserve forces had been arrested on Friday during a training session.

The names and contact details of 17 prominent politicians were found on his computer and had been shared in a group chat used by right-wing extremists. It gave no further details of the politicians on the list and said it was unclear if members of the chat had planned to harm or intimidate them.

A spokeswoman for the military's counterintelligence service declined to comment. Germany is trying to stem a rise in violent far-right ideology. In February, a 43-year-old racist shot dead nine people with immigrant backgrounds in the town of Hanau before killing his mother and himself.

A report by the military counterintelligence service in March said Germany had uncovered eight right-wing radicals in the armed forces, as well as 27 individuals with reservations about the post-war democratic constitution. Last month, military investigators found arms and explosives in a raid on the home of a special forces soldier.