Berlin: Syrian Islamist stabs Spanish tourist at Holocaust memorial

German authorities confirmed on Saturday that the man who stabbed a 30-year-old Spanish tourist the day before next to the Holocaust memorial in Berlin is a 19-year-old Syrian refugee who is legally in Germany and was allegedly acting for “religious reasons” as he had been planning to kill Jews for several weeks.

In a joint statement, the Public Prosecutor's Office and the Berlin Police confirmed that the victim of the attack, who suffered injuries to the neck, is out of danger following the rapid intervention of the emergency services and an emergency operation in which he had to remain in an induced coma for a time.

According to these two institutions, the detainee, as previously reported by German media, is a Syrian who, "apparently, arrived in Germany in 2023 as an unaccompanied minor refugee and requested asylum," which was granted to him.

He was therefore residing “legally in Germany”, specifically in the eastern city of Leipzig.

According to the investigation into the attack, which occurred at around 17.00:XNUMX GMT, "there are alleged links with the Middle East conflict," explained the police and the prosecutor's office.

According to what is known so far, in particular from the accused's statements to the police, the attacker "had been planning to kill Jews for several weeks."

"The choice of the crime scene - the Holocaust memorial - is also believed to have been made in this context," the statement said.

When he was arrested, the alleged perpetrator “was carrying in his backpack a prayer rug, a Koran, a piece of paper dated February 21 with verses from the Koran and the alleged murder weapon, which indicates a religious motivation,” the police and the prosecution maintain.

"So far there is no evidence of links with other individuals or organisations," they stressed.

The young Syrian, who will be brought before the investigating judge on Saturday for a decision on his remand in custody, had no criminal or judicial record in Berlin, they added.

The man was arrested at around 19.45:XNUMX GMT when he returned to the scene of the crime and when police officers observed that the suspect had blood on his hands and trousers.

The detainee spoke clearly and was cooperative with the police, who are still investigating whether the young man "suffers from any mental illness."

The investigation into suspected attempted murder and dangerous bodily harm has been taken over by the state security service of the police and a homicide unit of the Berlin State Criminal Police Office.

Due to the importance of the case, the Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office has taken over the investigation. EFE