Fraud trial opens for prominent German coronavirus skeptic

The founder of one of Germany's best-known coronavirus skeptic groups appeared in a southern German court on Wednesday accused of fraud and tax evasion.

The 49-year-old Michael Ballweg is accused of deceiving donors to the "Querdenker" (which might be translated as Lateral Thinkers, or Alternative Thinkers) movement over how their money would be used.

What is he accused of?

Prosecutors at the Stuttgart Regional Court said that Ballweg siphoned away some donations to help fund his lifestyle.

Prosecutors say Ballweg monetized his popularity to raise €1.2 million ($1.3 million) from thousands of supporters.

However, they say he only used some €844,000 to fund the group, which protested against coronavirus pandemic measures.

He is accused of some 9,450 counts of fraud, as well as attempted and succesful tax evasion.

Ballweg's lawyers have rejected the accusations, and the defendant told journalists at the courthouse that he was starting the proceedings with a good feeling. "Everything is fine," he said.

Some of his supporters had gathered to provide support in the courtroom. Ballweg himself was wearing at T-shirt that proclaimed: "Freedom is made of courage."

He allowed photographers to snap pictures of him before the proceedings started.

What is the Querdenker movement?

While Germany's Querdenker movement was born in the southwestern city of Stuttgart during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Ballweg at its core, it quickly spread to many other cities nationwide.

Supporters staged numerous protests against lockdown restrictions, mask-wearing obligations, vaccine requirements, and other aspects of the official response.

It drew together conspiracy theorists and anti-vaxxers, as well as activists from both the far-right and far-left.

At some gatherings, police officers and journalists came under attack.

More than 30 court days are currently scheduled for the case, between now and late April, 2025. 

rc/msh (AFP, dpa)