process - Attack planned on demo: Ex-IS fighter remains silent
Nine months after his latest arrest, a former fighter of the Terror Militia Islamic State (IS) has to answer before a court in Duisburg again since Thursday. The 30-year-old is accused of planning an "islamistically motivated attack" on a pro-Israeli demonstration last year. He allegedly intended to drive an Lkw into the crowd. His goal was to kill "as many people as possible who he considered infidels".
With hands in his trouser pockets, a broad smile on his face: After the police officers had brought the defendant to his place in the Duisburg Sworn Courtroom, the 30-year-old German gave a noticeably relaxed demeanor. He refuses to comment on the charges – nor will there be any information about his biography, according to his defense attorney.
Registered as a Suicide Bomber
The man, according to the indictment, joined the IS terror militia in Iraq and Syria from 2014 to 2016. There, he allegedly received theoretical instruction in handling an assault rifle, participated in watch and control duties, and accompanied IS fighters to combat missions. He also registered as a suicide bomber and appeared in IS propaganda videos.
After his return to Germany, the Duisburger was sentenced to five years in juvenile detention by the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court in 2017. At that time, it could not be determined whether he had killed anyone himself in Iraq or Syria. The sentence was served, according to the Duisburg Regional Court.
Since September of the previous year, the defendant is said to have suddenly become active again. The Prosecutor's Office assumes that he shared several attack plans with an as-yet-unidentified person in Syria. As a possible target, a police station near his Duisburg residence was named in the indictment.
Various possible target groups
Later, the LGBTQIA+ community, which consists of people with various gender identities, as well as an unspecified far-right party, were also named as possible targets. Several possible victims' names were listed in the indictment.
He was ready to die as a Martyr, the 30-year-old allegedly told his contact person in Syria. Most recently, he reportedly focused on a solidarity demonstration for Israel taking place in Germany. According to the Prosecutor's Office, he was inspired by the Islamic terrorist attack on October 16, 2023, in Brussels. In this attack in Belgium, two Swedish football fans were shot dead.
The indictment charges him with Making Statements Preparatory to Murder. A verdict is expected around the end of August.
- The 30-year-old, who was once a fighter for the Terror Militia Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria, now finds himself standing trial in Duisburg, Germany, five years after serving a juvenile detention sentence awarded by the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court.
- Despite his recent arrest and the serious accusations against him, the defendant presents a relaxed demeanor in the courtroom, keeping his hands in his pockets and refusing to comment on the charges against him, as per his defense attorney.
- The indictment against the former IS fighter alleges that he had registered as a suicide bomber during his time with the terror militia, and also claims that he shared several attack plans with an as-yet-unidentified individual in Syria, potentially naming the Duisburg police station and several target groups as potential targets.
- The accused, while in Syria, had reportedly mentioned his readiness to die as a martyr and had expressed interest in targeting a solidarity demonstration for Israel in Germany, citing the Islamic terrorist attack in Brussels as an inspiration.
- The Public Prosecutor's Office in Duisburg has charged the 30-year-old with making statements preparatory to murder, and a verdict is expected around the end of August.
