Latest news with #totheMurderedJewsofEurope
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Police: Berlin Holocaust Memorial attack suspect planned to kill Jews
The suspect in Friday's attack at the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin was motivated by anti-Semitism, German prosecutors said on Saturday, as Interior Minister Nancy Faeser called for him to be deported to Syria from prison. "According to what we know so far, especially based on statements made by the accused to the police, he has been planning to kill Jews for several weeks," Berlin police said. The incident had "connections with the Middle East conflict," the public prosecutor's office added. The attack saw a 30-year-old Spanish tourist seriously injured with a knife. The victim was hospitalized with wounds to his throat and underwent emergency operations. His life is no longer at risk. Authorities said the suspect, who was apprehended by police hours after the incident, is a 19-year-old Syrian refugee who entered Germany as a minor in 2023. He is believed to have specifically targeted the Holocaust Memorial in the German capital, which commemorates the approximately 6 million Jews murdered under Nazi rule. The suspect was also said to be carrying a Koran and a prayer rug in his rucksack, suggesting a religious motive for the attack. "Whether there is a mental illness is the subject of the investigation," said police. Authorities in the eastern state of Saxony, where the suspect lived, said he was known to police for earlier criminal offences. The 19-year-old is not a repeat or serious offender, according to Saxony's interior ministry. He was not obliged to leave the country and was living in shared accommodation in Leipzig, according to dpa information. Faeser calls for deportation The incident came just two days before Germany heads to the polls after an election campaign dominated by a series of attacks attributed to foreign nationals. Interior Minister Faeser expressed her horror at attack, calling for the alleged perpetrator to be punished severely and "deported directly from prison." "The knife attack at the Berlin Holocaust Memorial is a heinous and brutal crime," said Faeser in a statement on Saturday. "Anyone who commits such offences and abuses protection in Germany in the most disgusting way has forfeited any right to be in our country," said Faeser. She announced that she would use all avenues "to deport violent offenders back to Syria." Faeser wished the injured man a speedy recovery and thanked the Berlin police and emergency services. Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner also condemned the "cowardly" attack. "It is clear to me that anyone who wants protection in Germany does not attack people with a knife." "I expect the next federal government to ensure that such perpetrators lose their protected status and have to leave our country quickly," the mayor continued. Berlin's interior senator, Iris Spranger, denounced the attack and said she hoped the victim would recover. "An attempted murder offence with suspected anti-Semitic motivation at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe - that is intolerable," she said.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Man arrested for Berlin stabbing is Syrian refugee who wanted ‘to kill Jews'
A Syrian man who was arrested after stabbing a tourist at Berlin's Holocaust memorial had been harbouring a 'plan to kill Jews', German prosecutors said on Saturday. The attacker, 19, was arrested on Friday evening with blood stains on his hands. He was carrying a copy of the Koran and a prayer mat. Initial investigations suggested the attacker had 'connections with the Middle East conflict', prosecutors said. The attacker approached a 30-year-old Spanish tourist from behind at around 6pm on Friday, stabbing him in the neck with a knife. The assault took place at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, a sombre grid of concrete steles located near the US embassy in Berlin. The victim suffered life-threatening injuries and was placed in an induced coma. He is no longer in a critical condition. Police believe the Syrian suspect came to Germany in 2023 as an unaccompanied minor before being granted asylum in the eastern city of Leipzig. There was no evidence of links to other people or groups and the suspect had not previously come to the attention of Berlin police. The attack occurred two days before Germany's general election, which has centred heavily on immigration after a series of deadly stabbings and car-ramming attacks blamed on migrants. Earlier this month, an Afghan man drove his car into a crowd in Munich, killing a mother and her two-year-old daughter. It later emerged that he had his asylum application rejected six years ago but had still not been deported. Last month, a toddler and adult were killed in a knife attack in the Bavarian town of Aschaffenburg. Immigrants were arrested over both attacks. The rise of AfD, the far-Right party, which is expected to come second in Sunday's vote, has been attributed in part to the recent spate of attacks and the broader issue of immigration in the country. Germany has also grown increasingly alarmed about rising anti-Jewish sentiment and violence since the Oct 7 Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Asharq Al-Awsat
22-02-2025
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Police Arrest a Suspect in a Stabbing at Berlin's Holocaust Memorial That Injures 1 Person
Police arrested a man suspected in a stabbing attack Friday at Berlin's Holocaust Memorial that left a Spanish tourist seriously injured, police said. There was no immediate indication of a motive for the attack, which comes two days before Germans vote in a national election on Sunday. Police spokesman Florian Nath told a news conference that the attack happened at 6 p.m. "probably with a knife. Maybe with something else." Nearly three hours later, a male suspect approached officers who had surrounded the memorial grounds. "He had blood on his hands and this made him very suspicious," Nath said. Police arrested the man, handcuffing him and holding him on the ground. Nath said police seized the attack weapon and would interrogate the suspect as the investigation continued. The victim was identified as a 30-year-old Spanish man, who was taken to a hospital. The attack took place at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, a field of 2,700 gray concrete slabs near the Brandenburg Gate in the heart of Berlin, which honors the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust under the direction of Nazi Germany.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Yahoo
Suspect arrested after stabbing at Berlin's Holocaust memorial near US embassy
German police arrested a suspect after a stabbing at Berlin's Holocaust memorial left a person seriously injured on Friday evening local time. Police haven't yet given a motive or made any connection between the stabbing and the Holocaust memorial, known as the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, or the U.S. Embassy located nearby. The stabbing also came two days before Germany's national elections on Sunday. 2 People Are Killed In A Knife Attack In Germany; Scholz Says There Must Be Consequences The victim, whose injuries are not life-threatening, was identified as a 30-year-old Spanish tourist, according to The Associated Press. "Our forces have detained a suspect in the vicinity of the crime scene," Berlin police posted on X. "Investigations continue." Read On The Fox News App 'Random' Stabbing Spree At Festival In Germany Leaves 3 Dead, Others Injured: Report During a news conference, police spokesperson Florian Nath said the attack happened around 6 p.m., "probably with a knife. Maybe with something else." The suspect was arrested around three hours later after he was seen near the memorial. "He had blood on his hands, and this made him very suspicious," Nath said. In an update, police said on X that a larger area around the crime scene was being searched "for clues by additional emergency services, police dogs and the police helicopter." Benjamin Weinthal, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Original article source: Suspect arrested after stabbing at Berlin's Holocaust memorial near US embassy
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Yahoo
Man injured in attack at Berlin Holocaust memorial
A man has been seriously injured in a knife attack near Berlin's Holocaust memorial, German media is reporting. The incident took place at around 18:00 local time (17:00 GMT), police said on X, adding that investigations into what happened "are ongoing". According to Tagesspiegel newspaper, officers had cordoned off the site and were carrying out a search. Police spokesman Florian Nath was quoted by German tabloid Bild as saying "the perpetrator is on the run" - and "the murder weapon has not yet been found". The man was reportedly injured with a sharp object and has been transported by the fire brigade to hospital. "Rescue workers are on site caring for several people who witnessed the events," the police statement on X added. The knife attack appears to have taken place on the northern side of the memorial - opposite which sits the US Embassy. It is not yet clear what caused the attack or if the assailant has been apprehended. The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, which covers 19,000 sq metres, is described as being Germany's central Holocaust memorial. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.
