- The individual linked to the assault in Solinger is currently in a U-Haul.
The individual suspected of the deadly stabbings in Solingen is currently in custody. The German Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe issued an arrest warrant based on accusations of IS membership and murder, as reported by the Federal Prosecutor's Office.
According to the announcement, this Syrian man embraced IS ideologies and allegedly joined the organization prior to August 23, although his time of entry into the group remains unspecified. Previous attempts to deport him in 2023 were unsuccessful.
Radical Islamic beliefs motivated the man to target as many 'nonbelievers' as possible at the Solingen city festival, as claimed by the Federal Prosecutor's Office. He aggressively and deliberately attacked visitors with a knife, striking them in the neck and upper body areas.
Two men aged 67 and 56, as well as a 56-year-old woman, tragically lost their lives in the attack on Friday evening. Eight more individuals, four of whom were severely injured, were also hurt during the anniversary festival celebrating Solingen's 650th city founding anniversary - the "Festival of Diversity." The IS group claimed responsibility for the assault.
The perpetrator managed to evade capture immediately after the incident, but eventually surrendered to investigators on Saturday evening while wearing bloodstained clothing.
Politically, the attack has reignited discussions on stricter knife laws and migration policies. In light of the Syrian suspect's arrest, there's been renewed interest in deportation policies. The Union has advocated for changes to asylum laws.
CDU leader Friedrich Merz proposed barring refugees from Syria and Afghanistan from entering Germany, although the legality of such implementation remains uncertain. Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder (CSU) called for stronger deportation measures for rejected asylum seekers.
Some of the seriously injured individuals are making progress in their recoveries. Thomas Standl, medical director and CEO of Solingen municipal clinic, reported that the four patients still in the hospital are now considered out of danger. The crime scene in the city center remained cordoned off on Sunday morning, while hundreds gathered for a memorial service.
The suspect arrived in Germany at the end of 2022 and filed an asylum application. Before this, he had not been identified as an Islamic extremist by security authorities. The asylum application was subsequently denied, and he was slated for deportation to Bulgaria the following year. However, his disappearance in Germany postponed the deportation, with media outlets like "Die Welt" and "Focus" reporting on the development. He eventually relocated to Solingen, triggering a take-over request from Germany to Bulgaria, facilitating the potential execution of his deportation.
Under the Dublin rules, the responsible EU state for an asylum application is typically the one where the asylum seeker first entered Europe. In this instance, that would be Bulgaria. If the individual then moves to another EU country, like Germany, without permission, that country may submit a take-over request to the initial country. If the request is granted, deportation becomes feasible within a specific timeframe. However, if the deportation does not occur within this timeframe, responsibility shifts back to the country that initially intended to offer transfer.
IS claimed that the attack was an act of "revenge for Muslims in Palestine and other places." The terrorist group also claimed responsibility for the attack through its propaganda channel Amaq, stating that the attack targeted "a group of Christians."
The Düsseldorf police received an alleged IS claim of responsibility, but the veracity of the document must be verified. It has been noted that IS has previously claimed responsibility for violent acts without evidence of cooperation with the perpetrator.
The IS reference to "revenge for Muslims in Palestine" likely pertains to the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas in Gaza. It is essential to clarify that IS and Al-Qaeda do not have connections with Hamas, although the security authorities believe that the risk of terrorism and radicalization in the Islamic world has escalated due to the Gaza conflict.
Germany is an essential ally and significant arms supplier of Israel. The Federal Prosecutor's Office is responsible for investigating acts of terrorism with an Islamic motivation. General Federal Prosecutor Jens Rommel identified Islamic terrorism as one of the primary threats to Germany in his office's annual report. Among the numerous terrorism investigations initiated last year, nearly half related to Islamic terrorism, highlighting Germany's ongoing vulnerability to radicalized Islamist groups.
On Saturday evening, police conducted a search of a refugee shelter in Solingen with special forces, detaining an individual who had connections to the perpetrator. At present, this person is being considered as a witness. A 15-year-old youth was arrested early Saturday morning, perhaps for failing to report planned crimes.
The event in Solingen shocked Germany as a whole. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz labeled it a "terrible crime." He emphasized that such acts are not acceptable in society and that the full weight of the law should be imposed.
The attack in Solingen was motivated by the individual's radical Islamic beliefs and his alleged association with IS, as stated by the Federal Prosecutor's Office. Despite previous attempts to deport him, the suspect managed to evade capture and remained in Germany, triggering discussions on migration policies and stricter laws.
