Extremism: Was terrorist suspect von Hof deliberately blackened?

Killing as many Bundeswehr soldiers as possible during their lunch break with two machetes in the city center of Hof in Upper Franconia – this is how a whistleblower describes to the security authorities the plans of a 27-year-old Syrian from his environment. He also presents a backpack with a machete that is said to belong to the man.

The investigators act quickly: the 27-year-old was arrested in Upper Franconia in mid-September. He ends up in custody on suspicion of terrorism. A few months later it became clear: the Syrian was allowed to go free again and the investigation into the preparation of a serious crime endangering the state was discontinued. Instead, the Munich Public Prosecutor’s Office is now investigating a different suspicion: Did the whistleblower intentionally falsely accuse the 27-year-old of being a terror suspect?

Disputes in drug deals as a trigger?

A corresponding investigation has now been initiated against the man, a spokesman for the public prosecutor’s office told the German Press Agency. The investigators cannot therefore rule out that this was a false accusation in the course of a dispute over possible drug deals. The Hof public prosecutor’s office is now investigating the suspicion of trafficking in narcotics.

After the arrest in mid-September, there was great excitement about possible attack plans – a few days after the alleged terrorist attack on the Israeli Consulate General in Munich. Mayor Eva Döhla (SPD) said that there had “never been” anything comparable in the city and that the investigators had apparently prevented a serious crime. Bavaria’s Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) said the arrest showed that the investigating authorities acted “immediately on suspicion, because the protection of our population is the top priority.”

Suspicions of Islamism are also not confirmed

The Munich Public Prosecutor’s Office said the suspicion of an attack expressed by the whistleblower was not confirmed during the investigation. The fact that the 27-year-old Syrian could be a supporter of a radical Islamic ideology, as initially suspected after his arrest, could not be substantiated with evidence. The man was released on November 7th.

Compensation for pretrial detention

After the arrest warrant was revoked, a spokesman for the public prosecutor’s office emphasized that the man’s arrest was still justified given the information about his environment. “This statement was initially per se conclusive,” said the spokesman. The accusation was supported by the backpack and the machete. There was strong suspicion of a crime. The former terror suspect is now entitled to compensation after his pre-trial detention.

According to investigators, the Syrian entered Germany ten years ago. He therefore enjoys so-called subsidiary protection. This limited protection applies to people who are not recognized as individually persecuted refugees, but who provide valid reasons why they would be at risk of serious harm – for example through civil war – if they returned to their country of origin.

According to the information, deportation was not planned, although the 27-year-old had been sentenced to prison in Austria for smuggling. After a few months in prison, he was released at the end of April 2019.