The trial is held before a juvenile court because some alleged actions fall under juvenile justice due to Halemba’s age at the time, with eight court dates through late January.

The proceedings are unusually lengthy for a district court, and Halemba is represented by three defense attorneys, mirroring the involvement of a co-defendant who also has multiple lawyers.

Prosecutors point to a long background, including a 2023 raid on Halemba’s residence tied to extremism materials and Nazi-associated items, underscoring the seriousness of the case.

Prosecutors allege Halemba incited hatred by playing a neo-Nazi Landser song at a July 2022 birthday party, though Halemba contends he was not present; he also contests the sufficiency of evidence.

In court, Halemba did not speak while his lawyers repeated claims of political motivation and questioned the evidence supporting the charges.

Halemba denies the accusations, reiterating he was absent from the party and urging the charges to be dropped.

Immunity had been lifted earlier, and Halemba became the youngest Bavarian member of the state parliament in late 2023, with cross-party support dynamics shaping the case.

The Würzburg district court opened the trial of AfD member and Bavarian state parliamentarian Daniel Halemba on charges including incitement to hatred, money laundering, property damage, coercion, intimidation, and attempted intimidation, with Halemba appearing through his lawyers at the outset.

Eight days of hearings are scheduled, as Halemba—age 24 at the time of the alleged acts—faces multiple counts such as incitement of hatred and money laundering in a case that also involves a co-defendant.

Possible penalties, if convicted, include imprisonment or fines, while alternative measures like social work, an extremism-prevention course, or a written assignment remain on the table.

Halemba maintains innocence, with his defense arguing the proceedings are politically motivated and emphasizing the presumption of innocence until a final verdict.

The case includes allegations of harassment of a lawyer, damage to a law office door, and intimidation of a witness during the preliminary investigation.