Posted on Jan 27, 2021
German Lübcke trial: Far-right defendant faces killing verdict
958
5
1
4
4
0
A Frankfurt court is set to deliver a verdict in the trial of a far-right sympathiser accused of murdering prominent pro-migrant politician in his garden in 2019.
Walter Lübcke, a regional Christian Democrat governor, was shot in the head at close range.
Stephan Ernst, 47, has already admitted firing the shot.
A second man identified only as Markus H is accused of helping the gunman.
Both defendants have a far-right background and prosecutors maintain the motive for the murder was their political extremism.
Walter Lübcke was the first elected politician to be murdered in Germany for decades. If the court finds the motive was political, it would be the most prominent far-right political assassination in a democratic Germany since the 1920s.
Stephan Ernst's lawyer has argued that it was a political attack and should therefore be treated as manslaughter.
Prosecutors say he should be given life in jail. He is also accused of the attempted murder of an Iraqi refugee in a knife attack in January 2016. The victim was badly wounded.
Markus H has denied involvement and his lawyers say he should be acquitted of aiding and abetting the killer.
Walter Lübcke, a regional Christian Democrat governor, was shot in the head at close range.
Stephan Ernst, 47, has already admitted firing the shot.
A second man identified only as Markus H is accused of helping the gunman.
Both defendants have a far-right background and prosecutors maintain the motive for the murder was their political extremism.
Walter Lübcke was the first elected politician to be murdered in Germany for decades. If the court finds the motive was political, it would be the most prominent far-right political assassination in a democratic Germany since the 1920s.
Stephan Ernst's lawyer has argued that it was a political attack and should therefore be treated as manslaughter.
Prosecutors say he should be given life in jail. He is also accused of the attempted murder of an Iraqi refugee in a knife attack in January 2016. The victim was badly wounded.
Markus H has denied involvement and his lawyers say he should be acquitted of aiding and abetting the killer.
German Lübcke trial: Far-right defendant faces killing verdict
Posted from bbc.com
Frankfurt
Murder
Immigration
Posted 3 y ago
Responses: 1
0
0
0
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Why is the case significant?
During the trial, prosecutors argued Lübcke's murder was the first far-right assassination since Walter Rathenau, the country's Jewish foreign minister, was murdered in 1922.
Last month, far-right gunman Stephan Balliet was jailed by a German court for a deadly attack in the eastern city of Halle. Balliet shot and killed a female passer-by and a man at a kebab shop after failing to break into the synagogue in October 2019.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is the biggest opposition group in the German parliament and reports suggest the domestic intelligence agency is planning to place it under surveillance over possible links to extremism."
..."Why is the case significant?
During the trial, prosecutors argued Lübcke's murder was the first far-right assassination since Walter Rathenau, the country's Jewish foreign minister, was murdered in 1922.
Last month, far-right gunman Stephan Balliet was jailed by a German court for a deadly attack in the eastern city of Halle. Balliet shot and killed a female passer-by and a man at a kebab shop after failing to break into the synagogue in October 2019.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is the biggest opposition group in the German parliament and reports suggest the domestic intelligence agency is planning to place it under surveillance over possible links to extremism."
(0)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google