Afghan man handed life sentence in Germany after fatal stabbing at anti-Islam rally

STUTTGART: An Afghan man with suspected Islamist motives was sentenced to life in prison by a German court on Tuesday for a knife attack that killed a police officer and injured five others at an anti-Islam rally last year.
The verdict comes at a time of heated debate about immigration and security in Germany, and a strong surge in support for the country’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
The defendant, named only as Sulaiman A to protect his privacy, was found guilty of using a large hunting knife to attack people during a demonstration in the western city of Mannheim that was organized by the anti-Islam group Pax Europa in late May 2024.
Sulaiman A attacked a speaker and several demonstrators at the event before stabbing a police officer who rushed in to help. The officer later succumbed to his injuries.
The attacker was taken into pre-trial custody in June 2024 after leaving intensive care for injuries he sustained during his arrest.
Though prosecutors say he sympathized with the Daesh group, he was not tried as a terrorist. He faced one count of murder and five counts of attempted murder.