The AfD has said the case is “very disturbing” and has also vehemently denied a recent report in Der Spiegel magazine which alleged that one of the party’s manifestos was drawn up by Russian officials.

According to Der Spiegel, the Kremlin wrote the manifesto, which the magazine says it has seen, for the AfD. The report also alleged that “central content of the manifesto can be found in speeches by key AfD officials”, including top member Bjorn Hocke.

However, the AfD strongly denies this, dismissing Der Spiegel’s report as a “Rauberpistol” [literally robber’s gun, or cock and bull story].”

The AfD, which is surging in the Germans polls and remains at second place nationwide, has repeatedly complained that it is being targeted by mainstream parties who are concerned by its popularity.

The Right-wing, anti-immigration movement is particularly popular in eastern Germany, the territory of the Communist DDR after the Second World War.