Investigations against Saxon AfD politician Dornau

The Saxon AfD politician Jörg Dornau is once again under criminal investigation. Specifically, the Leipzig public prosecutor's office and the Dresden customs investigation office have announced that he is accused of violating the Foreign Trade and Payments Act. He is alleged to have violated European sanction measures.

Specifically, Dornau is accused of declaring Kazakhstan as the country of destination for a telescopic handler in a customs declaration in August 2022 in order to conceal the export ban to Belarus - the vehicle's actual country of destination - by using transit countries. Dornau has not yet commented on this when asked.

Landtag lifts Dornau's immunity

Dornau is the head of an agricultural company in Belarus. Parliament lifted the MP's immunity this morning. An usher led him out of the room. At the same time, the MP's home, business premises and vehicles were searched by officers from the customs investigation office. He himself also had to evade inspection. Rooms in the state parliament were not searched, it was reported. "Bild" had also reported on this.

AfD parliamentary group leader Jörg Urban expressed the suspicion in plenary that the criminal investigation against Dornau and the house search were "politically motivated to damage our MP".

AfD suspects that the procedure was a staged operation

"Jörg Dornau was not given the opportunity to make a statement in the Committee on the Rules of Procedure and Immunities. We criticize this," said AfD parliamentary group spokesperson Felix Menzel. The parliamentary group is not aware of any reasons that would justify such a procedure immediately before a plenary session.

"In this respect, the suspicion of a staging tailored to media exploitation is obvious. The accusations against Mr. Dornau have been known for a long time. These allegations must be clarified as quickly as possible in a fair, constitutional procedure," emphasized Menzel.

Earlier investigations against the MP were dropped

Dornau had already been investigated once before in another matter. He was suspected of having employed political prisoners in his agricultural business in Belarus. The Leipzig public prosecutor's office opened an investigation at the time. An examination revealed "no initial suspicion of criminal offenses that could be prosecuted in Germany", the authorities later announced. The AfD had expressly welcomed an examination of the case and expressed confidence in the work of the investigators.

Last December, the Leipzig Administrative Court confirmed a fine imposed on Dornau by the Presidium of the Saxon State Parliament. Dornau had been ordered in August 2024 to transfer 20,862.27 euros because he had not reported his shareholding in the agricultural company in Belarus within the legally prescribed period and had not reported his activities as a director of the company within the deadline.