German authorities condemned the head of the AfD, who passed off a fake as the words of the Minister of the Interior

Photo: Nancy Feser

The German government on Sunday, June 2, sharply criticized the head of the far-right Alternative for Germany party. (AfD) citing a false statement allegedly made by the country's Interior Minister Nancy Feser, reports Agence France-Presse.

AfD co-chair Alice Weidel cited the false statement speaking after the incident in the city of Mannheim on Friday attack with bladed weapons on participants in an anti-Muslim rally. The rally was organized by the Pax Europa group.

Five people were injured in the attack. Among the victims was far-right activist Michael Stürzenberger. A police officer who intervened in the incident died on Sunday from his injuries.

“If the investigation reveals an Islamist motive, it will further confirm the enormous danger posed by Islamist violence,” Nancy Feather said in connection with the incident.

As reported by Bild, Alice Weidel claimed that Feser allegedly spoke about the undesirability of disseminating video recordings of the attack, since, according to Weidel, it could play into the hands of the AfD.

Video of Weidel reading out a statement during the election campaign rally and calls it a “shame”, was circulated on AfD social networks, notes Bild.

According to the news outlet t-online, the fake statement came from an AfD member who created it using the artificial intelligence program ChatGPT.

“We strongly oppose disinformation and the exploitation of the terrible act of violence in Mannheim,” the German Interior Ministry said on Platform X, stressing that Weidel “publicly disseminated the fake statement” Feser.

On Saturday evening, June 1, Weidel issued an apology, admitting that the statement “did not come from (the Federal Interior Ministry).”

“During our research, we came across a fake, which we deeply regret,” Weidel said on Platform X.

“Anyone like Feser, who brags about warning about such criminals, but then allows them to roam the streets unhindered, should not be in office,” Weidel added.

Despite Weidel's apology, the fake news “continues to spread,” the German Interior Ministry said.

Prepared by: Sergey Daga