The founder of Germany's anti-Islamist Pegida party is set to go on trial
on hate speech charges.
Lutz Bachmann is accused of inciting racial hatred through a series of
Facebook posts, in which he called refugees "cattle" and
"trash".
The 43-year-old's trial in Dresden will be held amid tight security.
Pegida's rallies have attracted thousands of supporters in Germany. The
movement has spread to numerous countries since launching in 2014.
The group was prominent in demonstrations in Cologne in January after
reports of sexual assaults against women in the city on New Year's Eve.
The attacks were largely blamed on people from North Africa who entered
Germany illegally or have sought asylum. No trials involving suspects from the
Cologne assaults have taken place.
Pegida's anti-immigration demonstrations have often been met by counter
protests.
The court says Mr Bachmann "disrupted public order" through his
comments, which constituted an "attack on the dignity" of refugees.
If found guilty, he could face between three months and five years in
prison.
What is Pegida?
§ Acronym for Patriotische Europaeer Gegen die Islamisierung des Abendlandes
(Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West)
§ Umbrella group for German right-wingers, attracting support from mainstream
conservatives to neo-Nazi factions and football hooligans
§ Holds street protests against what it sees as a dangerous rise in the
influence of Islam over European countries
§ Claims not to be racist or xenophobic
§ 19-point manifesto says
the movement opposes extremism and calls for protection of Germany's
Judeo-Christian culture
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