Suspected terrorism: Federal Prosecutor's Office takes over investigation into knife attack in Bielefeld
A 35-year-old Syrian man randomly stabbed people in downtown Bielefeld. The Federal Prosecutor's Office has now taken over the investigation.
The Federal Prosecutor's Office is taking over the investigation into the knife attack in Bielefeld . On Sunday morning, several people were attacked by a 35-year-old Syrian, some of them seriously injured. The suspect was arrested late Monday near Düsseldorf . He is suspected of attempted murder and grievous bodily harm.
“There is a suspicion that the crime was religiously motivated and is to be understood as an attack on the free democratic basic order,” the prosecution said in Karlsruhe on Tuesday.
The Federal Prosecutor's Office is directly responsible for prosecuting crimes against the state security. These include, among other things, membership in a domestic or foreign terrorist organization, espionage, and treason. Previously, there had been media reports that the 35-year-old had recently become radicalized and had shown interest in the terrorist organization IS .
Federal Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD) confirmed on Tuesday that evidence has now mounted that the perpetrator acted out of Islamist motivation. Islamist terrorism is one of the greatest threats to security in Germany. "The knife attack in Bielefeld early Sunday morning was of shocking brutality: Several victims barely escaped with their lives," she added.
According to North Rhine-Westphalia's Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU), the Syrian entered Europe via Turkey. In December 2023, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees granted him temporary protection status after he applied for asylum in Germany. Investigators are also pursuing evidence of the suspect's contacts with the Islamist scene.
Berliner-zeitung
