Left -wing extremism: 30 years after the attack plan – agreement on probation penalty

30 years have passed since a failed left -wing extremist explosive attack in Berlin, the alleged perpetrators had been immersed abroad for decades – now the trial against them has been going out on probation punishment. From the point of view of the accused Peter K. (65) and Thomas W. (62), this is a success. W. showed supporters in the auditorium of the Berlin Chamber Court on the first day of the trial with one hand. Shortly afterwards, both made confessions through their lawyers. There should be a judgment in April.

Offer: probation and abolition of the custody

At the beginning, the presiding judge Gregor Herb suggested a so -called communication between those involved in the process after reading the indictment: after that, a prison sentence between one year and ten months and two years, exposed to probation, was possible for the two defendants. The confessions are a prerequisite. The pre -trial detention should then also be suspended on the first day of the trial, said the judge.

As expected, federal prosecutors and defenders agreed. The two defenders leave short but comprehensive confessions by Peter K. and Thomas W. This fulfilled the prerequisites of communication.

Agreement on communication

Previously there had been talks, as judge Herb said. Such agreements in the criminal trial are permitted in certain cases. Above all, they should reduce the workload of the judiciary, but also offer advantages.

In December 2024, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office in Karlsruhe raised charges for the appointment of making an explosive explosion against the men. Only last week they had been swearing, immersed and exile returned to Germany in South America from Venezuela, arrested at Berlin Airport and brought into custody.

According to their confessions, which were read by the respective defenders, Peter K. and Thomas W. as well as a accomplice, now died as a group under the name “Das Komittee” in April 1995, planned the attack on the deportation prison in Berlin-Grünau. Above all, deportations of Kurdish supporters of the forbidden Kurdish Workers’ Party PKK in Turkish prisons had to be prevented.

To do this, they filled up more than 120 kilograms of explosives in propane gas bottles and buildings of contemporary dies. The attack failed because a police patrol appeared when reloading in a parking lot. The men fled, letting their ID cards behind – and left Germany for a long time.

Designed: Keep deportations to be “unbearable”

Their fundamental political attitude has not changed, K. and W. indicated in their confessions. W. said in his confession that he considered the practice of deportation then and now to be “unbearable”. “SystemChange” stood on his T-shirt.

Both emphasized that they were important to them in the planning of the attack that they did not endanger any people. In their confession, they also admitted a previous arson attack on a Bundeswehr district military replacement office in Brandenburg.

Small organic farm in Venezuela as a center of life

They didn’t say whether they see their future in Germany or Venezuela. In his confession, K. also briefly reported on his life in Venezuela. “I have a small organic farm with salad and strawberries there, which is still my center of life.” They have now “come to Berlin out of free parties to meet old friends”.

After almost two hours of negotiation, both defendants were able to leave the court freely and collect their things from the investigation prison. For this, the “comfort of the willingness to drive on the JVA Moabit”, the judge said with a smile at the end of the negotiation. Some supporters and chants rose in the auditorium: “Deportation is torture, deportation is murder.” The judge replied: “Then until tomorrow.”

According to the current status, the process should take another three days of negotiations and end with the judgment on April 8. Until then, the two defendants have to report to the police twice a week, one wants to stay in Berlin in the next few weeks, the other near Baden-Baden, where he was born.