A man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the fatal stabbing of a police officer in Mannheim, following a trial at the Stuttgart Regional Court on Tuesday. The court found the defendant guilty of murder, among other charges and determined the presence of particularly serious aggravating circumstances.
The sentencing aligns with the prosecution’s demand, which had accused the Afghan national of murder, as well as five counts of attempted murder and aggravated assault. While the defense also requested a life sentence, they did not advocate for the designation of particularly serious aggravating circumstances.
The incident, which occurred in Mannheim’s city center, initially involved an attack on a board member of the Islam-critical citizens’ movement Pax Europa. Following the initial attack, multiple police officers responded to the scene, leading to the fatal stabbing of the officer.
During the trial, the defendant confessed that the act was motivated by affiliation with the Islamic State (IS) and characterized as an intentional attack targeting an Islam-critical demonstration.
