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Erfurt (dpa / th) - The Thuringian AfD has harshly criticized the classification of the entire AfD as a suspected case in the area of ​​right-wing extremism.

The step is not surprising, said a spokesman for the regional association on Wednesday when asked.

"But it is surprising that this classification takes place less than two weeks before two important state elections," said Torben Braga, who is also the parliamentary manager of the Thuringian AfD parliamentary group.

In his opinion, this confirms the image of “a politically controlled authority”.

The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution had previously carried out the classification.

According to dpa information, the authority's president, Thomas Haldenwang, informed the state offices for the protection of the constitution on Wednesday in an internal video conference.

Due to ongoing legal proceedings, the Federal Office is currently not making public statements on the question of the AfD's assessment.

The «Spiegel» and several other media had previously reported on the classification.

This means that the party can now also be spied on using intelligence means.

It is also possible to recruit informants who report from the party to the domestic secret service.

The AfD defends itself in an urgent procedure with legal means against a possible classification as a right-wing extremist suspected case.

Because of the ongoing legal proceedings, the Federal Office had promised not to use intelligence services to monitor candidates and members of the party until the end of the urgent proceedings.

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The Thuringian AfD has been listed as a suspected case with the Thuringian State Office for the Protection of the Constitution for a year.

Björn Höcke is a politician at the head of the state association and the AfD parliamentary group in Thuringia, who was classified as a right-wing extremist leader by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution last year.

Braga said the classification of the entire party had no direct impact on the Thuringian state association.

But he thinks that the AfD should be harmed with the classification before the state elections in Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate.

A new state parliament will be elected on March 14th in both federal states.

The Thuringian Left MPs Katharina König-Preuss and Steffen Dittes said that the classification of the AfD as a suspected case was no surprise for anyone “who has been pointing out the clearly recognizable anti-democratic and misanthropic orientation of the AfD for years”.

In her assessment, the party has not made any attempt since 2015 to “seriously hide its extreme right-wing ideology”.

König-Preuss demanded that authorities should now examine the consequences for officials who are involved in the AfD.

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210303-99-671484 / 2