German court backs intelligence agency's designation of far-right party as suspected extremist case

Deputy federal spokesperson for Alternative for Germany party (AfD) Peter Boehringer, left, and assessor on the AfD's federal executive board Roman Reusch stand in the courtroom before the verdict in the appeal proceedings in the dispute over the classification of the AfD by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution at the Higher Administrative Court for the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, in Muenster, Germany, Monday May 13, 2024. The administrative court in Muenster ruled in favor of the BfW intelligence agency on Monday, upholding a 2022 decision by a lower court in Cologne. Alternative for Germany, or AfD, has rejected the designation strongly. The party could still seek to appeal the verdict at a federal court. (Guido Kirchner/dpa/dpa via AP)