The chamber found it proven that the man had tried to set the synagogue on fire in June 2021 by pouring a bottle of gasoline on the outside wall of the synagogue and igniting it. The incident left burn marks on the façade and soot contaminated a window. The chamber also came to the conclusion that the act was anti-Semitic in motivation. With the verdict, the court complied with the public prosecutor’s demands. According to a spokeswoman, the defense attorney had previously requested a fine of 180 daily rates.
The Turk had not provided any information about the crime, but had previously spoken in detail to the psychiatric expert about the allegations. The expert reported at the start of the trial in December that the defendant stated that he wanted to draw attention to the suffering of the Palestinians in the conflict with Israel. The defendant’s aim was to set an example, said the presiding judge when giving reasons for the verdict. After the crime, the man fled to Turkey and evaded prosecution for two years before turning himself in.
Editorial team beck-aktuell, ak, January 16, 2024 (dpa).