German prosecutors have announced charges against a 61-year-old man in connection with a far-right plot to abduct the health minister. The group involved, known as "United Patriots," reportedly also had intentions to overthrow the entire government.

German prosecutors announced on Wednesday that they had charged a sixth suspect in an alleged far-right plot to kidnap Health Minister Karl Lauterbach over COVID-19 restrictions. Prosecutors further revealed that the groups involved also allegedly intended to overthrow the government as a whole.

The 61-year-old male suspect faces charges of "the preparation of a treasonous enterprise and membership in a terrorist organization," according to a statement from Frankfurt prosecutors.

Five other individuals from the group, known as "United Patriots," have already been charged in connection with the alleged plot. They began their trial in the western city of Koblenz in May 2023.

The man charged on Wednesday, hailing from the central western state of Hesse, allegedly "participated in meetings of the group and worked on the concretization of the plans."

According to investigators, the plans included strikes on the energy grid to cause a prolonged power outage, which would provide cover for a coup attempt.

Prosecutors stated that the latest suspect expressed readiness to assist in kidnapping Lauterbach.

The alleged plotters envisioned abducting the health minister "at gunpoint," potentially leading to the death of his bodyguards.

Furthermore, the suspect purportedly offered his garage as a weapons store for the group.

Prosecutors also mentioned that the man volunteered to "sail" to Russia post-coup, intending to negotiate an "alliance" with Russian state authorities and procure military equipment.

The alleged plot emerged during the coronavirus pandemic, a period when numerous far-right activists vehemently opposed the government's measures to control infections.

Health Minister Lauterbach was particularly despised within this circle due to his strong advocacy for many of the imposed restrictions.

The government's actions seemed to reinforce the belief among several far-right groups, including the "Reichsbürger," from which the "United Patriots" stemmed, that the Federal Republic of Germany was an illegitimate entity.

Similar to the Reichsbürger, the "United Patriots" aimed to supplant the government with an authoritarian system, specifically one "modeled on the constitution of the German Empire of 1871," according to investigators.