The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has appealed a court order requiring the party to grant national journalists access to an election night event in the eastern state of Thuringia, a spokesperson confirmed to dpa on Friday.
The Erfurt regional court has scheduled a hearing on the case for Saturday at 11 a.m. (0900 GMT), just a day before voters in Thuringia go to the polls.
Several leading German media outlets have taken legal action against the AfD in Thuringia after the AfD denied their reporters access to the party with the election results.
The newsmagazine Spiegel, Axel Springer’s newspapers Welt and Bild and the left-wing newspaper Taz argued in court that press freedom was endangered by the AfD’s decision.
The Erfurt court ruled in favor of the media last Friday and ordered the party to allow journalists access to the event. However, the ruling is not yet final.
Voters in Thuringia will elect a new state parliament on September 1. According to polls, the AfD has a large lead.
The leader of the AfD in Thuringia, Björn Höcke, is known throughout Germany for his radical views and highly controversial statements, including two convictions for knowingly quoting a Nazi slogan in speeches.
The domestic intelligence service has labelled the AfD in Thuringia and neighbouring Saxony, where state elections are also being held on Sunday, as far-right.
Thuringian state organization AfD spokesman Torben Braga and other Thuringian AfD leaders told dpa that space at the party venue was limited and that it had been decided to invite a small group of journalists who regularly report on Thuringian politics and the local AfD party.
AfD leaders had previously indicated that they would cancel the event if a court ordered them to allow more journalists.
The actual location of the election night party is being kept secret due to what the AfD describes as security concerns.
