German far-right MEP faces probe over Nazi imagery and Russian ties

If the European Parliament removes Petr Bystron’s immunity, he could be investigated for allegedly sharing Nazi imagery online and alleged links to a Russian propaganda network. He denies all accusations.

The European Parliament will vote on whether to strip a German far-right politician of his immunity, which would allow a criminal investigation to resume into images he posted online that appear to show politicians giving Nazi salutes.

That’s one of two investigations into Petr Bystron that are on pause in Germany due to his parliamentary immunity. A prominent member of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, he was elected to the European Parliament in June 2024.

Bystron has also faced a probe into allegations of money laundering and receiving bribes when he was a member of the German parliament. The Czech intelligence service has reportedly collected evidence about alleged payments to Bystron from a Russian disinformation network.

The Munich Public Prosecutor’s Office has asked the European Parliament to lift Bystron’s immunity so it can continue the investigation into the photos he posted. The office told OCCRP it may resume the investigation into bribery allegations as well.

“Once a decision from the European Parliament is made, a decision will be made regarding the resumption and continuation of the proceedings,” said Thomas Hörmann, a spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office.

Bystron has denied accusations related to both probes, saying he is a victim of a “defamation campaign.” He did not respond to phone calls to his spokesperson, and emailed requests for comment.

The European Parliament’s legal affairs committee approved a waiver of Bystron’s immunity on March 18, following the request from the Munich Public Prosecutor’s Office. Parliament must now vote on the committee’s recommendation

Bystron does not appear daunted by the process. The day after the committee voted to strip him of his immunity, he fired off baseless allegations in the European Parliament against organizations including OCCRP, and the media development non-profit Internews.

Noting that both organizations have received U.S. government funding, Bystron asked: “What steps are being taken to prevent EU democratic processes and Member States from being unlawfully influenced by these organisations?”

Bystron did not respond to questions from reporters, including requests for examples of what he considers unlawful influence.

Due to receiving some funding from the U.S. government — which was halted by the administration of President Donald Trump — OCCRP has been subjected to similar accusations before. A recent smear campaign accused OCCRP of being a tool of the “deep state,” even though donors have no influence at all over editorial decisions. 

Meanwhile, German prosecutors are focused on Bystron’s alleged role in spreading illegal Nazi propaganda. In their request for a waiver on Bystron’s parliamentary immunity, prosecutors noted that he has been “charged with having distributed or publicly used in Germany symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organisations.”

The charges stem from a montage Bystron posted online after the dismissal of Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany in July 2022. The caption read, “German politicians wave goodbye!” The doctored photos featured politicians with their arms outstretched 

“Petr Bystron was accused of at least tacit acceptance that this photo montage would leave an objective Twitter user with the impression that the arm position depicted was the ‘Hitler salute’,” according to prosecutors.

Bystron has reportedly said the images showed a “harmless wave.”

The Munich Public Prosecutor’s Office has not charged Bystron in the second investigation, regarding allegations that he accepted bribes. A spokesperson said they could not provide information "due to the current status of the proceedings, particularly for privacy reasons."

However, documents from the investigation reportedly show that German authorities were looking into the same allegations made in Czechia — that Bystron took payments from a Russian disinformation network called Voice of Europe. Czech authorities sanctioned the outlet in 2024, along with the European Union and several other countries.

Voice of Europe has spread disinformation through its website and social media channels, with the aim to destabilize Europe and “to justify Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” a Swiss sanctions notice reads.

The AfD did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication, including questions about the alleged payments to Bystron. The party’s co-chairperson, Tino Chrupalla, told the German parliament last year that “there is no evidence or proof available to us” to support the allegations against Bystron.

“Therefore, the presumption of innocence applies,” he said in parliament.