Examination of the Solingen incident's main suspect's mobile device is under scrutiny
The doubt surrounding the detained 26-year-old Syrian person was growing stronger, as per Reul's assertions. "I suppose we were heading in the right direction," he mentioned. With the release of an apparent video by the militant group of Islamic State (IS), claiming responsibility for the attack, Reul warned, "Analyzing the real-time footage is quite intricate."
Reul forwarded the investigation to the Federal Prosecutor's Office, who officially took charge of the case on Sunday. The local police in Karlsruhe had issued a warrant for the suspect's arrest, who surrendered late Saturday evening, approximately 24 hours post the Friday attack. According to their declaration, the Syrian individual is believed to have carried out the act as a member of IS, with charges including homicide and association with a terrorist organization. He reportedly admitted to the crime.
North Rhine-Westphalia's Prime Minister, Hendrik Wüst (CDU), stated on Monday that there were "numerous hints" suggesting that the attack was a terrorist act. "Terror is a plausible scenario," he expressed during his visit to Solingen. Nevertheless, he clarified, "It's not for me to determine whether it was an Islamist terror instance yet again."
As per the official reports, the suspect assaulted people at a festival in Solingen's city center with a knife on Friday night, resulting in the deaths of three and injuries to eight others. This incident sparked widespread shock and political debates across the nation.
The Federal Prosecutor's Office, now handling the case, is a part of the CDU-led government in North Rhine-Westphalia, as Hendrik Wuständ (CDU) is the state's Prime Minister. Despite Wuständ's caution, the CDU has been at the forefront of advocating a strong stance against terrorism in Germany.
