German court hands student lengthy prison sentence for attacks on neo-Nazis

A court in eastern Germany has sentenced a 28-year-old woman to five years and three months in prison for taking part in a series of attacks on neo-Nazis and other right-wing extremists over a period of two years

BERLIN -- A court in eastern Germany has sentenced a 28-year-old woman to five years and three months in prison for taking part in a series of attacks on neo-Nazis and other right-wing extremists over a period of two years.

German news agency dpa reported Wednesday that the Dresden regional court convicted Lina E., whose surname wasn't released due to privacy rules, of membership in a criminal organization and serious bodily harm.

Prosecutors accused the student of “militant extreme-left ideology” and conceiving the idea of attacks on far-right individuals in Leipzig and nearby towns. Three men, Lennart A., Jannis R. and Jonathan M., are alleged to have joined up with her by the end of 2019. The men were sentenced to between 27 months and 39 months in prison.

Lina E. has been in custody since her arrest on Nov. 5, 2020. The others have remained free.

Among the attacks Lina E. was accused of helping orchestrate was a 2020 incident in which about 15 or 20 assailants beat a group of six people returning from a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the firebombing of Dresden. The event regularly attracts neo-Nazis and other far-right sympathizers. Prosecutors said several victims sustained serious injuries after being punched, kicked and hit with batons.

Defense lawyers had called for their clients to be acquitted, claiming the trial was politically motivated.

Far-left groups have announced plans to protest the verdict, prompting police to establish a large presence in Leipzig in anticipation of possible unrest. Leipzig authorities have restricted public gatherings in the city at the weekend.

Germany’s top security official said the case showed authorities won’t accept any forms of political violence. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said federal and state police would act decisively if there is far-left violence in the coming weeks.

The far-right Alternative for Germany party, which has come under scrutiny from security services for its ties to extremists, welcomed the verdict. It accused Lina E. and her co-defendents of “terrorist methods” and lamented that the sentences weren't longer.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New dig likely buries hopes of unearthing Dutch WWII loot

An officially sanctioned hunt for a stash of precious jewelry looted by the Nazis during World War II and purportedly buried in a sleepy Dutch village has — like many previous searches — failed to unearth any treasure OMMEREN, Netherlands -- An officially sanctioned hunt for a stash of precious jewelry looted by the Nazis during World War II and purportedly buried in a sleepy Dutch village has — like many previous searches — failed to unearth any treasure. Archeologists and historians called into the village of Ommeren, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) southeast of Amsterdam, pushed a detection device called a magnetometer along a row of fruit trees and across a field Monday morning and used a mechanical digger to excavate holes in the soggy soil. They were rewarded with little more than a World War II-era bullet, some twisted scrap metal, a crumpled car wheel and muddy boots. Municipal officials hope that the failure of the team — that included members of a local historical society and
Read more

France: March, Eiffel Tower display to back Iran's activists

Thousands of Iranians in Europe have marched to the EU Parliament in the French city of Strasbourg in support of Iran’s anti-government protesters as Paris prepared an Eiffel Tower tribute to Mahsa Amini, whose death prompted the demonstrations PARIS -- Some 5,000 people marched Monday to the EU parliament in the French city of Strasbourg in support of Iran's anti-government protesters as Paris prepared an Eiffel Tower tribute to Mahsa Amini, whose death in September prompted the demonstrations. The Strasbourg march was organized by Iranians in Europe on the 44th anniversary of the day when Iran’s last Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, ailing and under growing pressure, left the country for ever. The following month, the monarchy collapsed under the fervor of the Islamic revolution that gave Iran its theocracy. Some of the demonstrators Monday carried photos of the former king. Last week, over 100 MEPs signed a letter calling for the European Union to take a firmer stance against Iran.
Read more

World’s oldest known person, a French nun, dies at 118

A French nun who was believed to be the world’s oldest person has died shortly before her 119th birthday PARIS -- A French nun who was believed to be the world’s oldest person but had been reportedly growing weary of the burdens of age has died a few weeks before her 119th birthday, her nursing home in southern France said Wednesday. Lucile Randon, known as Sister André, was born in the town of Ales, southern France, on Feb. 11, 1904, and lived through the two world wars. As a little girl she was astonished by her first contact with electric lighting at school and, more recently, survived COVID-19 without even realizing she'd been infected. Spokesman David Tavella said she died at 2 a.m. on Tuesday at the Sainte-Catherine-Laboure nursing home in the southern port city of Toulon. The Gerontology Research Group, which validates details of people thought to be 110 or older, listed her as the oldest known person in the world after the death of Japan’s Kane Tanaka, aged 119, last year
Read more