By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Four members of the far-right German band Race War went on trial Tuesday, accused of forming a criminal organization that promoted racial hatred and glorified the Nazi era.
Race War was formed in mid-2001. Prosecutors say its four members played 13 underground concerts between 2002 and 2004 in Germany and neighboring countries - events that in some cases attracted up to 1,500 people.
The aim of the group was "to glorify the Nazi era," prosecutor Apostolos Milionis said at the Stuttgart state court. He said their songs also preached racial hatred.
The band also stands accused of using banned Nazi symbols. In 2003, prosecutors said, a "special edition" of its now-banned debut CD was issued on Adolf Hitler's birthday, with the Nazi dictator's picture and a swastika on the cover.