A German politician, Daniel Halemba, from the Alternative for Germany (AfD), has been arrested on charges of allegedly displaying Nazi symbols. This arrest came after the repeated chanting of "Sieg Heil" from the Teutonia Prag student fraternity's headquarters, of which he is a member.

Daniel Halemba, who is 22 years old, was recently elected to the Bavarian parliament. Police conducted a raid on the Teutonia Prag student fraternity's premises and discovered several Nazi symbols. Halemba was apprehended shortly before he could obtain immunity as a Member of Parliament.

He is one of 32 AfD members who were elected in Bavaria, marking the party's best-ever election result in the state, where it now holds the position of the largest opposition party.

The police in Würzburg had previously searched Mr. Halemba's fraternity following complaints from neighbors about the frequent use of "Sieg Heil" chants heard from the premises. During this operation, law enforcement officers confiscated prohibited materials, substantiating the claims made by the neighbors.

The phrase was a key Nazi slogan and was banned in Germany.

Police issued an arrest warrant on Friday and Mr Halemba was tracked down near Stuttgart, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, on Monday morning.

Prosecutors told the BBC they considered Mr Halemba a flight risk, as he had been on the run since 26 October.

He is under investigation on suspicion of sedition and possessing banned symbols. In Germany, Nazi iconography is outlawed.

Authorities also accuse him of collusion or suppression of evidence, as he was trying to influence other fraternity members to change their statements.

"They want to arrest me... using a totally lawless arrest warrant," Mr Halemba said in a video posted to social media before his arrest.

His lawyer, Dubravko Mandic, said the allegations against his client had "no truth".

Katrin Ebner-Steiner, the leader of the AfD in the Bavarian parliament, denounced what she termed a "politically motivated" prosecution.

The AfD has enjoyed record election results in recent months.

The anti-immigration party came third in this month's Bavarian election and second in the state of Hesse.

The party now regularly polls second nationwide. Germany's next federal election is due in 2025.

Noted