The text contained spelling errors, raising doubt whether it was sent by Islamists or far-right activists trying to stoke fear, said one of the recipients, Greens party lawmaker Hans-Christian Stroebele. Berlin police told AFP that five letters - one addressed to Merkel's husband Joachim Sauer - were received Wednesday and Thursday.
The others were sent to the head of Merkel's CSU Bavarian sister party, Horst Seehofer, the far-left Die Linke MP Gregor Gysi, and the Greens' top candidate Katrin Goering-Eckardt, said public broadcaster NDR and WDR. The typed letters warned that the content was "deadly", mentioned the ultra-orthodox Muslim Salafist community and were signed "Allahu Akbar" (God is Greatest), said the report. A government spokesman said that "we do not comment of security matters". Police said that the domestic security agency BfV was investigating.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2017