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23 arrested over German neo-Nazi radio station

By Melissa Gray, CNN
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • They are arrested after 22 raids around the country
  • Accused of operating an online radio station that played neo-Nazi songs
  • Some of those arrested are appearing in court Thursday
RELATED TOPICS
  • Germany

(CNN) -- German authorities have arrested 23 people from around the country suspected of being involved in a right-wing extremist radio station that played neo-Nazi songs, Federal Criminal Police said Thursday.

They were arrested after raids of 22 homes in 10 German states, police said. Some 270 officials were involved in the searches, most of which were in the states of Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine Westphalia, along Germany's western border, police said.

Some of those arrested were appearing in court Thursday, but a spokeswoman for the Federal Criminal Police would not specify the charges they face.

Police said those arrested are between the ages of 20 and 37. They operated an online station called Widerstand-Radio (Resistance Radio) that played music by skinhead bands about killing people and broadcast racist and hate-filled comments.

It is illegal in Germany to play Nazi songs, said the police spokeswoman, who asked not to be named in line with policy.