AfD expels MP for attending neo-fascist conference in Russia

The Hamburg AfD parliamentary group has expelled MP Robert Risch for attending an international congress of neo-fascist forces in St. Petersburg. Risch will also be expelled from the party.

AfD member Robert Risch attended a congress of neo-fascist groups in Russia in mid-September and appeared as a speaker. This caused outrage and led to calls for his resignation.

According to party and parliamentary group leader Dirk Nockemann, the party leadership and parliamentary group have decided in favor of expulsion.

According to the statement from the parliamentary group and party leadership, the conference where Risch participated as a speaker had an “anti-democratic orientation incompatible with the democratic values and principles” of the Alternative for Germany.

Furthermore, Risch deceived the party and the parliamentary group by stating he had a private reason for his absence, but then traveled to Russia to attend a public event without the knowledge or approval of his colleagues.

In his statement, Risch emphasized that a long-time friend in St. Petersburg asked him during a private trip if he wanted to accompany him to an event. According to the AfD member, he had no information about the program or the participants.

According to Risch, he “did not comment on the statements made by other speakers at this event” and instead spoke in favor of “the need for peace in Europe” and, above all, expressed his “concern about the spread of war in Europe.”

The deputy argued that it should not be assumed he shares the views of those present at the event simply because he was sitting in the same room.

Olga Petersen, a former Hamburg AfD MP who currently lives in Russia, also attended the meeting.

The congress, held on September 12 at the Mariinsky Palace in St. Petersburg, was intended to be the founding conference of the “International Anti-Globalist Union,” called “Paladins.”

Far-right politicians from countries such as France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain, and South Africa are said to have attended the meeting.

Among the organizers of the summit in St. Petersburg were businessman Konstantin Malofeyev and Alexander Dugin.

In published photographs, some faces were initially pixelated, such as that of a man sitting in front of a conference sign that read “Germany” and was seen by organizers as Germany’s official representative.

The US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty was able to identify Risch as this participant through other unpixelated photos and computer-based facial comparisons.

The publisher states that a comparison of the photograph from St. Petersburg with Risch’s photo on the official AfD website shows a match of over 99%.