From Foreign Policy · Paul Hockenos · · 1m 50s
German Film Shows Far-Right Threat
A German film reveals how far-right extremism infiltrates institutions.
In brief
A German film reveals how far-right extremism infiltrates institutions. Prosecution (2022) depicts a state prosecutor fighting neo-Nazi attacks in Germany. Originally reported by Foreign Policy.
German cinema darkens
Contemporary German films show a nation far darker than past peacemakers imagined.
Prosecution film release
Faraz Shariat's Prosecution won three Berlinale prizes in February 2026 and released in Germany that summer.
Prosecution plot
Seyo Kim, a state prosecutor, faces racist attacks and questions the fairness of Germany's justice system.
Attacker's threat
Kim is attacked with Molotov cocktails while cycling, setting her jacket ablaze and burning her neck and jaw.
Systemic bias
German authorities ignore far-right crimes, treating them as apolitical infractions rather than terrorism.
NSU murders
The National Socialist Underground killed nine people and a policewoman between 2000 and 2:0007.
NSU cover-up
Authorities falsely blamed Turkish organized crime for NSU murders, delaying justice for years.
Prosecution's justice quest
Kim investigates far-right networks in justice and public-security organs despite institutional resistance.
Institutional failure
80 percent of cases like Kim's go unsolved, revealing systemic bias in German justice.
Far-right infiltration
German institutions harbor far-right sympathizers who wear ties and drive Porsches.
Staatsschutz role
Germany's Staatsschutz protects institutions, not victims of far-right extremism.
AfD election gains
The AfD gained 44 percent of votes in Saxony-Anhalt regional elections in September 2026.
AfD government power
An AfD-led state controls justice, police, and asylum policies.
Far-right emboldenment
Perpetrators of racist attacks feel emboldened by AfD government policies.
Historical parallels
Thomas Mann's 1949 tour of divided Germany foreshadows current far-right threats.
Far-right future
Germany faces growing far-right threats to its institutions and minorities.
At a glance
Prosecution (2022) depicts a state prosecutor fighting neo-Nazi attacks in Germany.
