Feb 4, 2026, 12:49 p.mFeb 4, 2026, 12:49 p.m
A member of the right-wing populist AfD party in the parliament of the eastern German state of Saxony, Jörg Dornau, is once again under investigation because of his company in Belarus.
Jörg Dornau is under investigation.Image: imago
Specifically, it concerns the accusation of a violation of the Foreign Trade Act. According to the Leipzig public prosecutor’s office and the Dresden customs investigation office, he is accused of incorrectly specifying Kazakhstan as the destination country for a telehandler in a customs declaration in August 2022 in order to conceal the export ban to Belarus.
State parliament lifts Dornau’s immunity
Dornau is the head of an agricultural company in Belarus. The Saxon parliament – the state parliament – lifted the MP’s immunity this morning. An usher led him out of the hall. At the same time, the deputy’s home and business premises were searched by the customs investigation office.
AfD parliamentary group leader Jörg Urban expressed the suspicion in the plenary session that the criminal investigations against Dornau and the house search were “politically motivated to damage our MP”. Dornau was asked for a statement, but his response was initially pending.
Previous investigations against the deputy were closed
Dornau had already been investigated in another matter. He was suspected of having employed political prisoners at the company in Belarus. The Leipzig public prosecutor’s office initiated an investigation at the time. A comprehensive examination revealed “no initial suspicion of crimes prosecutable in Germany,” the authority later announced. (sda/dpa)