A federal prosecutor in Karlsruhe has filed charges against a Syrian man in a Düsseldorf state court, nearly six months after the Solingen attack. The man is suspected of triple murder and attempted murder on ten occasions, with the prosecution alleging that he was motivated by low motives and in twelve cases, by incitement to hatred. He is also accused of dangerous bodily harm and severe bodily harm in connection with the attempted murders and of membership in a foreign terrorist organization.
According to the investigators, the man is believed to be an adherent of the Islamic State (IS) and had decided to carry out an attack on people he perceived as non-believers at the Solingen city festival on August 23, 2024, as a form of revenge for military actions by Western states. He had contacted an unknown IS member through a messaging service, who had encouraged him in his plan and assured him that the IS would take responsibility for the attack and use it for propaganda purposes.
The Syrian man then created videos in which he recited the IS oath of allegiance and announced his planned attack. He then attended the Solinger festival, where, according to the investigators, he repeatedly and deliberately stabbed people in the back and upper body with a knife. Three people died and ten others were seriously injured. The next day, the IS announced that the attack had been carried out by a member of the organization.
The suspect has been in pre-trial detention since August 25, 2024, following a warrant issued by the federal court of justice.