FRANKFURT: A Syrian national accused of supporting the Islamic State group has been formally charged with attempted murder after allegedly stabbing a Spanish tourist at Berlin’s Holocaust Memorial earlier this year. The 19-year-old suspect, partially identified as Wassim Al M., reportedly targeted the 30-year-old victim at the memorial site in February.
Federal prosecutors stated the suspect holds “radical Islamist and antisemitic views” aligned with IS ideology. According to investigators, he traveled from Leipzig to Berlin specifically to attack individuals he considered “representatives of a Western form of society.”
The assault occurred at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, a solemn installation of concrete slabs near Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate. Prosecutors revealed the suspect sent a photo to IS members shortly before the attack, intending for the group to claim responsibility. The Spanish victim, from the Basque Country, sustained neck injuries but survived.
The incident became part of a heated immigration debate ahead of Germany’s general election, which saw gains for the far-right AfD party. The newly formed CDU/CSU-led government has since tightened immigration rules and explored resuming deportations to Syria, halted since 2012.
The suspect remains in pre-trial detention, also facing charges of serious bodily harm and attempted membership in a terrorist organization. Officials confirmed his arrival in Germany in 2023 as a refugee. - AFP
