Bjoern Hoecke, right, arrives in the courtroom of the Halle/Saale district court Friday, May 3, 2024 together with his lawyers Philip Moeller and Ulrich Vosgerau, for a hearing of his trial on charges of using a Nazi slogan. Bjoern Hoecke, 52, is the leader of the regional branch of Alternative for Germany, or AfD, in the eastern state of Thuringia and a powerful figure on the party’s hard right. (Hendrik Schmidt, Pool Photo via AP)