German court convicts prominent far-right politician of using Nazi slogan

Bjoern Hoecke at his trial at the regional court in Halle, Germany (Ronny Hartmann/Pool Photo via AP)

A court has convicted one of the best-known figures in the far-right Alternative for Germany party of using a Nazi slogan in a speech and ordered him to pay a fine.

The verdict in Bjorn Hocke’s trial comes months before a regional election in the eastern state of Thuringia in which he plans to run for the governor’s job.