DÜSSELDORF, Germany — The trial of a Syrian man accused of a deadly knife rampage at a cultural festival in Solingen began Tuesday, with the defendant acknowledging his guilt and expressing remorse for killing “innocent people.”
The 2023 attack, which left three people dead and ten others wounded, occurred during a “Festival of Diversity” marking the 650th anniversary of Solingen, a city in western Germany. The suspect, identified in accordance with German privacy laws only as Issa Al H., now faces multiple murder and terrorism charges, including membership in the Islamic State group (ISIS).
Though Germany does not have a formal plea system, a statement read by his defense attorneys during the opening session of the Duesseldorf state court left no doubt about his responsibility. “I have brought severe guilt upon myself. I killed innocent people, not infidels. I am prepared to accept the verdict,” he stated, according to the German press agency dpa.
The prosecution has brought three counts of murder, ten counts of attempted murder, and a charge of belonging to a foreign terrorist organization.
The case has reignited debates over migration policy and deportation enforcement within the European Union. Despite being slated for deportation to Bulgaria under EU asylum rules in 2023, the suspect reportedly went off the radar, evading expulsion in a glaring failure of the immigration system.
The timing of the attack — just months before Germany’s national elections — further inflamed political discourse around immigration and public safety, particularly as several high-profile incidents involving foreign nationals drew media and public attention.
A life sentence is the maximum penalty for murder under German law. The court has scheduled proceedings to continue through late September, as families of victims, survivors, and a broader public await justice in one of Germany’s most shocking recent acts of extremist violence.
