Germany's federal prosecutor's office has charged five citizens with creating a terrorist organization aimed at overthrowing the government and sparking a civil war, AP reports.

Prosecutors said the suspects, four men and one woman, made specific preparations to cause a large-scale blackout in the country and use the ensuing chaos to create an alternative government. They also planned to kidnap the country's health minister, Karl Lauterbach, who had faced criticism from opponents of government restrictions on the pandemic.

The group is accused of being guided by the Reich Citizens ideology promoted by one of its members, identified only as Elisabeth R.

All five German citizens were arrested last year and are in pretrial detention.

Last month, authorities uncovered a similar plot by another, larger far-right group. Its members were also supporters of the Citizens of the Reich movement, which considers the current government illegitimate and that the German constitution of 1871 is still in force.