Wanted to kill soldiers

Islamist in Bavaria was detained in Austria

(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

The Syrian man who was arrested in Germany for allegedly planning to attack German soldiers was, contrary to initial reports, not blameless. He had already spent several months in prison - in Austria ...

The 27-year-old is said to have procured two machetes in order to kill as many Bundeswehr soldiers as possible during their lunch break in the city center of Hof in Upper Franconia. Investigators assume that the Syrian is a follower of a radical Islamic ideology. With the attack, he wanted to unsettle the population and cause a stir. He is suspected of preparing a serious act of violence endangering the state. However, the presumption of innocence applies until a final conviction is handed down and he is currently in custody.

The man was sentenced to 19 months' imprisonment at the Eisenstadt Regional Court in Burgenland for trafficking in human beings, a spokesperson for the Munich Public Prosecutor General's Office told dpa. After being sentenced at the beginning of August 2018, the man was released at the end of April 2019.

After the arrest on Thursday in the Upper Franconian region of Hof in Bavaria, investigators initially stated that the man had no criminal record. This was also true - but only with regard to Germany, the public prosecutor general's office now added.

Deportation was not planned
According to the investigators, the Syrian had entered Germany ten years ago. He enjoyed subsidiary protection, they said. This limited protection applies to people who are not recognized as individually persecuted refugees, but who provide valid reasons why they would be at risk of serious harm - such as civil war - if returned to their country of origin. According to the information provided, deportation was not planned.

Witness tip led to the man
According to Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann, a "witness tip from the accused's circle" had put investigators on the trail of the Syrian. This was received by the police last Wednesday. The case shows that the investigating authorities act "immediately on suspicion". The public prosecutor's office would not comment on the current status of the investigation.