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Neo-Nazi charged with murder

January 31, 2013

The Munich regional appeal court has reportedly allowed murder charges to be brought against alleged National Socialist Underground (NSU) member Beate Zschäpe. The decision followed her indictment in November.

https://p.dw.com/p/17VWC
KARLSRUHE, GERMANY - DECEMBER 01: (EDITOR'S NOTE: Quality from source). Neo-Nazi Beate Zschaepe, who is currently in police custody, is pictured in this handout photo taken in 2011 and provided by the Federal Criminal Office on December 1, 2011 in Karlsruhe, Germany. German investigators are appealing to the public for information about Zschaepe, as well as fellow neo-Nazis Uwe Boehnhardt and Uwe Mundlos. The two men, who committed suicide in November following a bank robbery, are credited with a string of murders of foreigners and a policewoman between 2000 and 2007 and are though to be part of an organization called the National Socialist Underground (NSU). (Photo by Federal Criminal Office via Getty Images)
Image: Getty Images

Judges determined on Thursday that there was sufficient evidence in the far-right terrorism case to bring Zschäpe before a court on murder charges, according to reports in numerous German newspapers. However, the court's spokeswoman declined to confirm the news.

News agencies DPA and AFP said two defense attornies - Wolfgang Stahl and Anja Sturm, respectively - had confirmed that court's decision.

Four other alleged supporters of the NSU have also been charged.

Germany's Federal Prosecutor's Office has charged the sole-surviving member of the far-right group with being an accomplice in ten murders. She also faces charges for aggravated arson and belonging to a terrorist organization.

Neo-Nazi murder trial to proceed in Germany

On November, 4 2011, the apparent suicide of NSU members Uwe Mundlos and Uwe Boenhardt led to the uncovering of three neo-Nazis believed to have murdered nine Turkish and Greek immigrants, as well as a policewoman between 2000 and 2007. Police had previously attributed the killings to organized crime. A number of bombing attacks and bank robberies have also been linked with the trio.

The case has since drawn attention to what appears to be widespread negligence by German investigators who failed to link the murders to right-wing extremists.

Zschäpe's lawyers have denied her direct involvement in the crimes. Since her arrest in November 2011, she has refused to say anything about her alleged activity in the far-right terrorist group.

kms/dr (AFP, Reuters, dpa)

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In session: the NSU inquiry board is holding a meeting (c) Steffi Loos/dapd

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