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Knockout 51 trial: arrest warrants against right-wing martial artists lifted!
Two defendants in the trial of the right-wing extremist group "Knockout 51" were released from custody; The court no longer sees any danger.
Knockout 51 trial: arrest warrants against right-wing martial artists lifted!
On October 28, 2025 there will be news from the Thuringian Higher Regional Court: The arrest warrants against the two defendants Kevin N. and Marvin W., who are connected to the right-wing extremist martial arts group “Knockout 51”, have been revoked. The judges no longer saw any urgent reasons for membership in a terrorist organization and concluded that there was no evidence of a willingness to use violence beyond self-defense. In addition, according to the court, there was no risk of escape or concealment. “The pre-trial detention is no longer justified,” says the court’s decision, which can be read on the MDR website.
Kevin N. and Marvin W. had been in custody since December 2023 after an arrest warrant was issued against them by the Federal Court of Justice. A third defendant, Patrick W., who apparently supported the group, is already at large. The trial has been running since the end of April 2025, and the prosecution accuses the defendants of having the goal of killing left-wing extremists and establishing a right-wing extremist neighborhood in Eisenach.
Who is behind “Knockout 51”?
The martial arts group “Knockout 51” has been in the focus of the judiciary for years and is classified as right-wing extremist by the Thuringian Office for the Protection of the Constitution. This group is supposed to try to win young people over to the right-wing extremist scene through martial arts training. According to taz, Kevin N. is seen as the suspected ringleader who is said to have founded the group in 2019. Marvin W. took part in the group's martial arts and shooting training, while Patrick W. is considered a leading member of the NPD successor party "Die Heimat" and is also said to have provided support.
Federal prosecutors classified “Knockout 51” as a terrorist organization. Despite the current decision of the Higher Regional Court, the strong suspicion of membership in a criminal organization remains open. The Federal Prosecutor General is available to lodge a complaint with the Federal Court of Justice against the cancellation of the arrest warrants. Even though the arrest warrants have been revoked, the legal dispute is far from over.
Investigation results and outlook
The group is active nationally and in Thuringia, especially in cities such as Eisenach and Erfurt. The prosecution alleges that “Knockout 51” indoctrinated young men with right-wing extremist ideas and trained them to attack police officers and dissidents. From spring 2021, the group is also said to have sought to kill left-wing extremists. In July 2024, four suspected members of this martial arts group were convicted in Jena, but the verdict is not yet final.
The situation surrounding “Knockout 51” remains tense, especially given the potential consequences of the legal decisions now made and the ongoing investigations that remain in the public eye.