German court convicts Syrian over stabbing that triggered Chemnitz riots

[webfact]

German court convicts Syrian over stabbing that triggered Chemnitz riots

 

Alaa S., suspected of being responsible for the stabbing of Daniel H. in Chemnitz, his interpreter and lawyer Ricarda Lang arrive at a court in Dresden, Germany, August 22, 2019. Picture pixelated at source. Matthias Rietschel/Pool via REUTERS

 

DRESDEN, Germany (Reuters) - A German court sentenced a Syrian asylum seeker to nine and a half years in prison on Thursday over the fatal stabbing of a man in the eastern city of Chemnitz last year that triggered the worst far-right riots Germany had seen for decades.

 

The verdict handed down in the city of Dresden in the high profile case comes barely a week before elections in the region in which the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is expected to make big gains. The AfD welcomed the verdict.

 

It is almost exactly a year since the stabbing which led to thousands of right-wingers, including neo-Nazis and soccer hooligans, marching through Chemnitz and clashing with left- wingers and police.

 

Images of skinheads or far-right demonstrators chasing migrants, performing the Hitler salute and attacking a Jewish restaurant, raised questions about how Germany should deal with its far-right, especially after the 2015-16 migrant crisis.

 

The 24-year-old Syrian, identified only as Alaa S., according to German rules, was convicted of manslaughter. The Cuban-German victim, Daniel Hillig, died of his injuries after being stabbed in Chemnitz on the sidelines of a local festival.

 

The Syrian was also convicted of inflicting serious bodily harm on another victim, Dimitri M., who was injured but survived.

 

"The accused was today found guilty of joint manslaughter and grievous bodily harm. He has therefore been sentenced to a jail term of nine years and six months," a spokeswoman for the court said.

 

Prosecutors had called for a 10-year prison sentence.

 

Defence lawyers, who had called for their client to be acquitted, argued there was no evidence that their client had helped stab the victim and said they would appeal.

 

German authorities have also issued an international arrest warrant for an Iraqi suspect who has been on the run since the incident. They believe he was the main culprit in the killing.

 

The AfD said on Facebook it hoped the Iraqi suspect would be found soon and added that Chemnitz had been unfairly "branded as a playground for right-wing radicals".

 

"No verdict will return Daniel H. to his family and friends but at least it brings some justice in a reality that claims new victims every week," it said.

 

Opinion polls show that the AfD could become the biggest party in the two eastern states of Saxony and Brandenburg, which hold elections on Sept. 1.

 

The trial took place in Dresden, the capital of Saxony state rather than in nearby Chemnitz because of the high level of public interest in the case.

 

(Reporting by Reuters Television; Writing by Madeline Chambers; Editing by Alison Williams and Gareth Jones)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-08-23

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[TopDeadSenter]

26 minutes ago, webfact said:

that triggered the worst far-right riots Germany had seen for decades

Interesting. If I remember this case correctly (and I do) the townsfolk of all ages and political persuasions were out protesting in mass against the systematic and repeated sexual harassment of the native young lassies by recently arrived gentlemen from a culture that does not respect women at all. Nothing about "far right"! OK there may have been some among the crowds with buzz-cuts and doc martins, just as their may have been some people with funny color dyed hair, which didn't make it a "pride" march. 

 

 Now a ten year sentence for this refugee murdering a German. Out in what, 4 years for good behavior? Absolutely shocking how Germany refuses to protect it's native sons.

[GalaxyMan]

I find it shocking that the countries that regularly make the most noise about the sanctity of life place such a low value on it when sentencing people who have committed pre-meditated murder. Only 9.5 years for killing a person and robbing them of decades of life? What The Phuhkk!!! I am absolutely for the death penalty for any premeditated crime of violence against another person.

[stevenl]

1 hour ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Interesting. If I remember this case correctly (and I do) the townsfolk of all ages and political persuasions were out protesting in mass against the systematic and repeated sexual harassment of the native young lassies by recently arrived gentlemen from a culture that does not respect women at all. Nothing about "far right"! OK there may have been some among the crowds with buzz-cuts and doc martins, just as their may have been some people with funny color dyed hair, which didn't make it a "pride" march. 

 

 Now a ten year sentence for this refugee murdering a German. Out in what, 4 years for good behavior? Absolutely shocking how Germany refuses to protect it's native sons.

Ah, so no migrants were chased, Hitler salute was not performed and a Jewish restaurant was not attacked.

Glad your memory is as good as it is to protect us from the incorrect reports from the MSM.

 

Or maybe there was more to it than you remember or want us to believe?

[Morch]

He ought to get further investigated by Germany's fashion police.

[simple1]

4 hours ago, GalaxyMan said:

I find it shocking that the countries that regularly make the most noise about the sanctity of life place such a low value on it when sentencing people who have committed pre-meditated murder. Only 9.5 years for killing a person and robbing them of decades of life? What The Phuhkk!!! I am absolutely for the death penalty for any premeditated crime of violence against another person.

The guy was charged with manslaughter, not murder.

[GalaxyMan]

12 minutes ago, simple1 said:

The guy was charged with manslaughter, not murder.

Which is a joke in and of itself. The man deliberately set out to stab people. Premeditated. The nuance of whether he intended to kill or just 'hurt' them is the difference between manslaughter and premeditated murder legally. Total bulllshihtt. Manslaughter is more correctly reserved for things like making a mistake driving and causing an accident that kills someone. It's all about intent.

[spidermike007]

Who knows if this was pre-meditated or not. He very well could have gone out there with the intention of killing someone. Glad he was locked up. Sorry Germany does not execute such worms. There is no place in society for intolerant people, who prey on others. You move on to a more progressive nation, you either leave you centuries old beliefs at home, or you pay a harsh penalty for acting like a fool and a villain. 

[Chomper Higgot]

5 hours ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Interesting. If I remember this case correctly (and I do) the townsfolk of all ages and political persuasions were out protesting in mass against the systematic and repeated sexual harassment of the native young lassies by recently arrived gentlemen from a culture that does not respect women at all. Nothing about "far right"! OK there may have been some among the crowds with buzz-cuts and doc martins, just as their may have been some people with funny color dyed hair, which didn't make it a "pride" march. 

 

 Now a ten year sentence for this refugee murdering a German. Out in what, 4 years for good behavior? Absolutely shocking how Germany refuses to protect it's native sons.

You mean you recall your own rightwing spin on the matter.

 

People of all political persuasions did not march with rightwing thugs parading their Hitler salute.

 

Away with your nonsense revision of the facts.

[Chomper Higgot]

4 hours ago, GalaxyMan said:

I find it shocking that the countries that regularly make the most noise about the sanctity of life place such a low value on it when sentencing people who have committed pre-meditated murder. Only 9.5 years for killing a person and robbing them of decades of life? What The Phuhkk!!! I am absolutely for the death penalty for any premeditated crime of violence against another person.

I suggest you read your post and see if you can spot the nonsense argument. 

 

Here’s a clue: You recognize a nation’s stance on the sanctity of human life, then bang on about the death sentence.

[GalaxyMan]

1 minute ago, Chomper Higgot said:

I suggest you read your post and see if you can spot the nonsense argument. 

 

Here’s a clue: You recognize a nation’s stance on the sanctity of human life, then bang on about the death sentence.

Your reading comprehension leaves a lot to be desired. I was pointing out the utter hypocrisy of the situation. My personal views on the issue stand. I do believe in the sanctity of life, up to a point. Once that 'point' or line in the sand is crossed by a transgressor, I'm wholeheartedly for executing them and saving the oxygen for those who deserve it.

[nauseus]

34 minutes ago, simple1 said:

The guy was charged with manslaughter, not murder.

Strange, after multiple stab wounds to the lung and heart?

[Chomper Higgot]

11 minutes ago, GalaxyMan said:

Your reading comprehension leaves a lot to be desired. I was pointing out the utter hypocrisy of the situation. My personal views on the issue stand. I do believe in the sanctity of life, up to a point. Once that 'point' or line in the sand is crossed by a transgressor, I'm wholeheartedly for executing them and saving the oxygen for those who deserve it.

I suspect you don’t know what ‘sanctity’ means.

[nauseus]

18 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

You mean you recall your own rightwing spin on the matter.

 

People of all political persuasions did not march with rightwing thugs parading their Hitler salute.

 

Away with your nonsense revision of the facts.

As far as I can remember and read, even now, there were all kinds of people at a festival for the city, when the murder happened - they weren't all pre-armed with long knives, of course - the right wing demonstrations followed as a result of the death. 

[Chomper Higgot]

On the presumption that as an ‘asylum seeker’ he hasn’t yet been awarded asylum, make him serve his time, then deport him back to Syria.

 

 

[simple1]

1 hour ago, GalaxyMan said:

Which is a joke in and of itself. The man deliberately set out to stab people. Premeditated. The nuance of whether he intended to kill or just 'hurt' them is the difference between manslaughter and premeditated murder legally. Total bulllshihtt. Manslaughter is more correctly reserved for things like making a mistake driving and causing an accident that kills someone. It's all about intent.

You attended the Court, familiar with German law & heard the evidence? No, so just another rant.

[dick dasterdly]

6 hours ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Interesting. If I remember this case correctly (and I do) the townsfolk of all ages and political persuasions were out protesting in mass against the systematic and repeated sexual harassment of the native young lassies by recently arrived gentlemen from a culture that does not respect women at all. Nothing about "far right"! OK there may have been some among the crowds with buzz-cuts and doc martins, just as their may have been some people with funny color dyed hair, which didn't make it a "pride" march. 

 

 Now a ten year sentence for this refugee murdering a German. Out in what, 4 years for good behavior? Absolutely shocking how Germany refuses to protect it's native sons.

Unfortunately most of us don't know the 'facts' or 'story' - and never will.

 

As far as I can make out, the German authorities are now looking for an Iranian guy who was supposedly responsible for the murder?....

[dick dasterdly]

1 hour ago, simple1 said:

The guy was charged with manslaughter, not murder.

Exactly, so why?

 

Presumably because it was the escaped Iranian that was responsible?...

[Morch]

3 hours ago, <deleted> dasterdly said:

Unfortunately most of us don't know the 'facts' or 'story' - and never will.

 

As far as I can make out, the German authorities are now looking for an Iranian guy who was supposedly responsible for the murder?....

 

3 hours ago, <deleted> dasterdly said:

Exactly, so why?

 

Presumably because it was the escaped Iranian that was responsible?...

 

Not knowing the facts and details doesn't seem to hinder you much.

[nauseus]

3 hours ago, <deleted> dasterdly said:

Exactly, so why?

 

Presumably because it was the escaped Iranian that was responsible?...

That maybe, <deleted>. But in that case why has this guy been done for manslaughter? There was only one fatality.

[stevenl]

1 hour ago, nauseus said:

That maybe, <deleted>. But in that case why has this guy been done for manslaughter? There was only one fatality.

I presume because he was involved.

[Pancho]

Horrible. Begs the question, rule of law?, a society’s ability to protect its law abiding tax paying citizens?( why are the police complicit ?) Look past the players in the foreground. This is a reactionary, knee jerk, scenario. Divide and conquer. The people in the streets must have a good plan, a strong articulate leadership,( clearly the forces organizing the current state of affairs have top advisors) avoid martial law. Beat them at their own game.  Horrible.

[Benmart]

22 hours ago, Morch said:

He ought to get further investigated by Germany's fashion police.

This is a story about a murder and the sentencing of a murdered. Your juvenile comment is just that.

[Morch]

2 hours ago, Benmart said:

This is a story about a murder and the sentencing of a murdered. Your juvenile comment is just that.

 

Guilty as charged. And yet....got to wonder.

[Chomper Higgot]

4 hours ago, Benmart said:

This is a story about a murder and the sentencing of a murdered. Your juvenile comment is just that.

Juvenile comments have a long history in responses to tragic, frightening or stress loaded news, they seldom do harm and may help to diffuse the tensions these news create. 

 

Of far more concern are the conspiracy laden responses, the assertions that the truth is being hidden or there are hidden agendas.

 

Comments to a particular set of news items are frequently plastered with conspiracy theories, I’d label these ‘crack pot’ but they are not random, they are a consistent broadcast of the ‘them v us’, the ‘elite v the common man/woman’. 

 

I’ll take the juvenile, and frankly humorous, response that an individual  dreams up and posts any day over a pre-packed conspiracy propaganda people are being fed and re broadcasting.