‘Rightwing extremist’ German magazine wins court battle against ban

Far-right AfD party welcomes ruling in favour of Compact, which sets high bar for any government crackdown

A German federal court has overturned a ban on a magazine classed by the government as rightwing extremist, in a high-profile legal battle seen as pitting efforts by the authorities to protect the democratic order against media freedom.

The federal administrative court said that while Compact, a publication with close ties to the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party, had produced “anticonstitutional” content, it did “not yet” represent a threat to the state.