Berlin prosecutors and police searched the home of a 48-year-old employee of Kristin Brinker, the Berlin AfD’s lead candidate, in the Lichterfelde district on 15 September 2026, acting on suspicion of violations of Germany’s weapons and explosives laws. The employee works in Brinker’s constituency office in Reinickendorf.
Investigators said the search did not turn up any weapons or explosives. They did, however, seize other items – including drugs and Nazi-era memorabilia – that were being forensically examined to determine whether they are criminally relevant.
Brinker told Bild she had “never had any indication” that her employee held such views, describing him as “simply a collector” who frequented flea markets. AfD spokesman Ronald Gläser called the matter a private affair and said the party would await the results of the investigation. Green party candidate Werner Graf criticized the response and renewed calls for the government to formally classify the Berlin AfD and consider proceedings toward a party ban.
The search came five days before Berlin’s 20 September state parliament election, in which the Berlin AfD was polling strongly. The investigation is ongoing and no charges have been filed.
Sources: Tagesspiegel, Bild and t-online.de reporting, 15 September 2026. No dedicated police or prosecutor’s press release was located for this search.
