Key facts
- Martin Reichardt, a senior lawmaker for the AfD party, is under scrutiny.
- A photograph has surfaced that appears to show Reichardt making a Nazi salute.
- Reichardt denies the gesture was a Nazi salute.
- Reichardt claims the gesture was part of a joke.
Martin Reichardt, a prominent figure within Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, is currently under intense scrutiny following the emergence of a photograph. This image appears to depict Reichardt making a gesture widely recognized as a Nazi salute. Reichardt himself has publicly refuted the interpretation of his action, asserting that the gesture was not a Nazi salute but rather part of a joke. The controversy surrounding the photograph has placed the AfD party and its senior members under renewed public and media attention. The specific context of the photograph and the nature of the alleged joke remain subjects of discussion.