A neo-Nazi has been arrested for wearing a Hitler costume at the Moto GP motorcycle race in Hohenstein-Ernstthal near Chemnitz, eastern Germany, last weekend.
The 40-year-old suspect, who faces significant legal penalties for his actions, attended the race wearing a brown shirt emblazoned with "Adolf" and the numeral 8 (referring to H, the eighth letter of the alphabet) beneath it. This combination was a reference to Nazi leaders Adolf Hitler and such symbols are forbidden under German law.
Neo-Nazi groups routinely employ the number 88 as coded language for "Heil Hitler,".
Furthermore, while competitors thundered around the track, the suspect approached a beer concession stand and donned a rubber Hitler mask, parading openly with the offensive costume.
Some race attendees posed for photographs with him, apparently delighted to capture selfies with "the Führer".
Security personnel arrested him and transported him to a police station for questioning.
"Such behavior has absolutely no place at our racetrack. We responded instantly upon identification," declared the race director, confirming that the man would be permanently banned from future events.
German police representatives confirmed that "criminal investigators have launched an immediate inquiry into this incident”, adding that “the suspect faces charges for displaying symbols of prohibited organisations".
The man faces severe legal consequences as prosecutors prepare their case. German statutes mandate significant penalties for Nazi glorification, including fines of up to tens of thousands of euros, as well as judicial discretion to impose up to three years' imprisonment.
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