Magdeburg (dpa/sa) - The state parliament of Saxony-Anhalt has criticized a controversial trip to Russia by several AfD MPs. A motion passed by a large majority on Wednesday evening states that Parliament regards this trip as an "act of lack of solidarity" with Ukraine, which Russia has attacked in violation of international law. "The state parliament disapproves of this trip."
The attempt to travel to the Russian-occupied territories at the same time as the mock referendums being held there must be understood as an endorsement of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, the motion continues. The state parliament recommends that the AfD parliamentary group ask the state audit office for an independent audit with regard to the financing of the trip. In this way, "damage to the reputation of the state parliament" should be averted.
After severe criticism, three AfD members of parliament canceled their trip to Russia in September and decided not to visit the Russian-occupied Donbass in eastern Ukraine. Hans-Thomas Tillschneider and Daniel Wald from Saxony-Anhalt and Christian Blex from North Rhine-Westphalia were on the road together. Blex was then excluded from the AfD parliamentary group in the Düsseldorf state parliament.
The AfD faction in Saxony-Anhalt defended the trip again on Wednesday. Group leader Oliver Kirchner said that the MPs wanted to find out more about the humanitarian situation on site. The parliamentary group does not want to give any information on the amount of the costs, individual travel destinations or other details. However, Kirchner had already said on Monday that a four-digit sum had been paid for the trip. Within the "legal framework" the parliamentary group wants to cover the reimbursable travel expenses of the deputies.
"I think it's an illegal use of group funds," said the parliamentary director of the FDP group, Guido Kosmehl. In its own interest, the AfD should ask the state audit office to check this.
