Politics Solingen attack trial begins in Germany
Nine months after the knife attack that left three people dead at a city festival in the West German town of Solingen, the criminal trial against the alleged attacker has begun.
27.05.2025, 11:55
SDA
The federal prosecutor's office is accusing the Syrian Issa al H. of three counts of murder and ten counts of attempted murder. He is also alleged to be an IS terrorist and to have sworn allegiance to the so-called Islamic State in videos a few hours before the attack on the evening of August 23, 2024.
He had specifically sought contact with IS in Islamist-jihadist forums, a representative of the federal prosecutor's office said shortly before the start of the trial. Ideological operatives of the IS had then guided him - also in the selection of the murder weapon. The defendant entered the courtroom wearing a blue T-shirt and kept his head mostly bowed in the dock.
Trial in a high-security wing
First, the federal prosecutor is to read out the indictment. The 27-year-old defendant has not yet commented on the charges to the investigators or the magistrate. It remains to be seen whether he will make a statement at the start of the trial.
The trial is taking place in the high-security wing of the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court. Both the injured and the relatives of the victims of the attack will appear as joint plaintiffs in the trial. There are a total of twelve co-plaintiffs.
According to a court spokeswoman, the defendant has so far been deemed fully culpable. The Higher Regional Court has scheduled 22 trial days until September 24. Almost 50 witnesses and several experts are to be heard.
"For us as Solingen residents, the crime is incomprehensible and senseless," said lawyer Simon Rampp, who represents eight co-plaintiffs. "In our view, the federal prosecutor's office has fully clarified the crime. There are many witnesses and video recordings." The punishment must be "everything the law has to offer".
