In the wake of the fifth anniversary of the far-right extremist attack in Hanau, German Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) called for more unity. “Besides the consequences of the rule of law, we also need more humanity and togetherness, so that such acts do not split our country” she said on Tuesday.
“The racist murders in Hanau were a deep incision. The wounds of February 19, 2020, will not heal: not for the families of the victims and not for many other people in Germany who experience racism. We commemorate the victims and continue to stand firmly alongside their families” the SPD politician said. “We will never forget Gökhan Gültekin, Sedat Gürbüz, Said Nesar Hashemi, Mercedes Kierpacz, Hamza Kurtovic, Vili Viorel Paun, Fatih Saracoglu, Ferhat Unvar and Kaloyan Velkov.”
The interior minister emphasized that all instruments of the rule of law are being used to combat right-wing extremism. “We will continue to rely on consistent prosecution, disarming and dismantling of right-wing extremist structures” she said. “That this remains absolutely necessary is shown by the new record high of right-wing extremist crimes, which the police has registered in 2024.”
On the anniversary, commemorative events are taking place in Hanau and numerous other cities. The “Initiative 19. Februar Hanau” expects 87 vigils, demonstrations, assemblies and candlelight processions on Wednesday.
On February 19, 2020, a perpetrator shot nine people, his mother and himself in Hanau. The Federal Criminal Police Office classifies the act as right-wing and racist.
Survivors and bereaved families criticize the authorities’ handling of the case and their treatment of victims and their families. The perpetrator had a gun license, despite having repeatedly drawn attention to himself in the run-up to the attack. On the night of the attack, members of the Frankfurt Special Operations Command were deployed, who were part of a chat group in which, according to media reports, racist content was also shared. Moreover, the emergency number was not reachable during the night of the attack. The father of a victim’s child has therefore filed a new complaint with the public prosecutor’s office in January 2025.