German soldier who posed as refugee convicted in attack plot
A German court has convicted a military officer who posed as a Syrian asylum-seeker and was accused of plotting to kill prominent politicians and blame the attack on refugees
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A German court on Friday convicted a military officer who posed as a Syrian asylum-seeker and was accused of plotting to kill prominent politicians and blame the attack on refugees, sentencing him to 5½ years in prison.
The Frankfurt state court convicted the defendant of preparing a serious crime meant to endanger the state and violations of weapons laws among other offenses, German news agency dpa reported. It also found that he has right-wing extremist views. He has been identified only as 1st Lt. Franco A. in line with German privacy rules.
The 33-year-old German came to the attention of authorities after he was arrested in February 2017 while going to retrieve a pistol he had stashed in a Vienna airport bathroom. He was freed, but Austrian authorities informed Germany. When the soldier’s fingerprint matched the one he’d given to register as an asylum-seeker, it triggered the investigation.
Prosecutors alleged that the defendant’s targets included then Justice Minister Heiko Maas and the Jewish head of an anti-racism organization. He had stockpiled four firearms including an assault rifle, more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition and more than 50 explosive devices, some stolen from military stores, they said.
The soldier denied the allegations at his trial, which opened in May last year, but conceded that he had hoarded weapons and ammunition in case public order collapsed in Germany. He has asserted that, by posing as an asylum-seeker, he wanted to uncover faults in asylum proceedings.
Prosecutors, who labeled him a “radical right-wing terrorist,” had sought a sentence of six years and three months. The defense had sought his acquittal on the main charge of preparing a serious crime meant to endanger the state, and fines or suspended sentences on other charges.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.