Criminal background of an Individual with Islamist Affiliations from Upper Franconia
A 27-year-old individual from Syria was detained for allegedly planning attacks on German military personnel in Bavaria. Authorities received information and initiated an arrest. Initial reports suggested the suspect held radical Islamic beliefs, yet no criminal record in Germany was reported. However, further investigations revealed a different story.
It was disclosed that the person in question had served an 19-month prison sentence in Austria for human trafficking, as confirmed by a representative from the Munich Public Prosecutor's Office to the German Press Agency. The conviction occurred in August 2018, and release followed in April 2019.
The initial reports stating a clean criminal record in Germany only held validity for German jurisdictions.
Deportation was not in the plans
The 27-year-old had entered Germany a decade ago, receiving subsidiary protection, which is granted to individuals who cannot be recognized as individually persecuted refugees but provide compelling reasons for avoiding severe harm upon return to their home country, such as due to ongoing civil war. His deportation was not an option.
Currently, the individual is in police custody, accused of acquiring two machetes with the intention of killing as many German soldiers as possible during their lunch break in Hof, Upper Franconia.
The lead came from a witness
Investigators suspect the man adheres to extreme Islamic beliefs and aimed at causing chaos and gaining attention through the attack. He is under scrutiny for preparing a heinous act threatening public security, while the presumption of innocence remains till a final judgment is passed.
Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann mentioned a "tip from the suspect's circles" as the source of information, leading authorities to the Syrian individual. The Munich Public Prosecutor's Office is tight-lipped about the current investigation stage.
The Munich Public Prosecutor's Office initial involvement in the case was triggered by information from The Commission, which led to the investigation and eventual arrest of the individual.
However, The Commission's investigation revealed that the individual's criminal history extended beyond German jurisdictions, as he had served a prison sentence in Austria for human trafficking.
