A German army officer who posed as a Syrian asylum-seeker is accused of plotting to kill prominent politicians. Prosecutors say he acted out of far-right extremist motives. The case has raised concerns about extremism in the country’s military. The 32-year-old defendant denies that he had planned to carry out any attacks. His lawyer says his client is the victim of a smear campaign and denies he has far-right leanings.
He was arrested in February 2017 while going to retrieve a pistol he had stashed in a Vienna airport bathroom. The soldier’s fingerprint matched the one he’d given to register as an asylum-Seeker.
On Thursday, a German army officer posing as a Syrian asylum seeker went on trial, accused of planning to assassinate prominent politicians while blaming the attempt on refugees.
According to federal prosecutors, the suspect, who has only been named as 1st Lt. Franco A. due to German privacy laws, behaved with far-right racist motivations. Concerns have been raised about violence in the country’s military as a result of the event.
According to the DPA news agency, the 32-year-old defendant denied planning any attacks before his trial in Frankfurt’s regional court.
Moritz Schmitt-Fricke, his lawyer, argued that his client was the target of a misinformation campaign and denied that he had far-right sympathies, citing his involvement in punk music as evidence.
Franco A. was apprehended by authorities in February 2017 while attempting to retrieve a gun he had stashed in a Vienna airport bathroom. He was set free, but Austrian authorities alerted German authorities. The investigation was triggered when the soldier’s fingerprint matched the one he’d provided to register as an asylum seeker.
The defendant’s supposed targets included then-Justice Minister Heiko Maas and the Jewish head of an anti-racism group, according to prosecutors. They said he had four weapons, including an assault weapon, over 1,000 rounds of ammunition, and over 50 explosive devices, some of which were stolen from military stores.