The suspect, arrested in Upper Franconia on suspicion of plotting to attack German soldiers, spent several months in an Austrian prison. A spokeswoman for the Munich prosecutor’s office told the German news agency that the 27-year-old Syrian was sentenced to 19 months in prison for smuggling by the district court in Eisenstadt, in Austria’s Burgenland region. The man was convicted in early August 2018 and released in late April 2019.
After his arrest on Thursday, investigators initially said the man had no previous convictions. That was true, but the prosecutor’s office added that only in Germany.
The expulsion was not planned.
According to the investigators, the Syrian entered Germany 10 years ago. He enjoys so-called subsidiary protection. This limited protection applies to people who are not personally recognized as persecuted refugees, but who can show good reasons that they would face serious harm if they returned to their country of origin, such as due to civil war. According to the information, there are no plans for deportation.
The 27-year-old is currently in custody after allegedly acquiring two machetes during a lunch break in the town of Hof in Upper Franconia with the aim of killing as many German soldiers as possible.
Witness information helped investigators track him down.
Investigators believe the 27-year-old is a supporter of radical Islamic ideology. He wanted to use the attack to create unrest and unrest among the population. He is accused of preparing serious acts of violence that endanger the country. However, he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
According to Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU), investigators traced the Syrian man’s tracks after “witness reports from the defendant’s immediate surroundings,” which were filed with the police last Wednesday. The case shows that investigators act “immediately” when they have suspicions. The prosecution did not wish to comment on the current status of the investigation.
