A 19-year-old Syrian man, identified as Wassim Al M., went on trial Thursday in Berlin over a knife attack on a Spanish tourist at the city’s Holocaust memorial, just days before Germany’s February general election.
According to the court, the suspect is accused of supporting the Daesh (ISIS) group and intending to “target a person of the Jewish faith.” Prosecutors allege he approached the 30-year-old victim from behind among the memorial’s concrete steles and inflicted a 14-centimeter (over five-inch) cut to his throat.
The victim, visiting with two friends, was seriously injured but managed to stagger out of the memorial before collapsing. A police officer stationed outside the nearby U.S. embassy testified that he heard cries for help and saw the victim clutching his throat as emergency services were called.
Prosecutors told the court Wassim Al M. had internalized Daesh ideology, rejected Western values, and believed in waging a global holy war against “infidels.” Witnesses said he shouted “Allahu akbar” after the attack.
The suspect had reportedly traveled to Berlin from his home in Leipzig, motivated by his extremist beliefs and “driven by the escalation of the Middle East conflict,” according to the court.
+ There are no comments
Add yours