Following a stabbing attack on a political rally in the western city of Mannheim, an Afghan man suspected of having Islamist sympathies was put on trial in Germany on Thursday on charges of murder and attempted murder.
The trial occurs as Germany prepares for a national election on February 23 and is experiencing increased discussion about security and asylum laws. After multiple violent attacks in recent months, the far-right and center-right have pledged to take tough measures against migrant crime.
Prosecutors have named the defendant as Sulaiman A., who is charged with stabbing and gravely wounding six people during an attack on an anti-Islamic demonstration in late May 2024, including a 29-year-old police officer who passed away from his wounds.
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When he appeared before the higher regional court in Stuttgart, the state capital of Baden-Wuerttemberg, where Mannheim is situated, he covered his face with a folder.
After being admitted to intensive care for his injuries from the attack, the suspect was placed under pre-trial custody on June 18.
