German prosecutors have charged five people with treason for allegedly plotting to kidnap Health Minister Karl Lauterbach.

They were ready to kill to overthrow the German government, Reuters reported, citing a statement from the attorney general.

The group, formed in mid-January 2022, had set out to "violently provoke civil war-like conditions in Germany" in the hope of overthrowing the government and overthrowing parliamentary democracy, the statement said.

According to the announcement of the prosecutor's office, the members of the group had accepted that this could include the loss of human life.

All five have been in custody since last year, when authorities first revealed details of the alleged plot.

At least 120 people knew about the coup plot in Germany

According to the prosecutor's office, the suspects took increasingly specific steps to prepare.

They have created two separate wings of the group, one military and the other administrative.

By executing a three-step plan, they wanted to trigger a national crisis, kidnap Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, if necessary kill his bodyguards, and then convene a national assembly to overthrow the government and appoint a new leader, BTA notes.

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