German neo-Nazi gets life in jail for murdering politician Al Jazeera English © Stephan Ernst, who is accused of murdering politician Walter Luebcke, is seen at his trial at the Ob. Stephan Ernst, who is accused of murdering politician Walter Luebcke, is seen at his trial at the Oberlandesgericht Frankfurt courthouse, in Frankfurt, Germany August 5, 2020 [Kai Pfaffenbach/Pool/Reuters]
A German neo-Nazi has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering pro-migration politician Walter Luebcke, a killing that shocked the country and highlighted the growing threat of right-wing violence.
Stephan Ernst, 47, was found guilty of shooting dead the politician from Angela Merkel’s conservative CDU party on June 1, 2019, in what is believed to be Germany’s first far-right political assassination since World War II.
Far-right extremist convicted of murdering German politician - Medicine Hat NewsMedicine Hat News
medicinehatnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from medicinehatnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Far-right extremist sentenced to life in prison for 2019 killing of German politician
theglobeandmail.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theglobeandmail.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
0 shares
Defendant Stephan Ernst looks on in the courtroom at the higher regional court in Frankfurt, Germany, January 28, 2021. (Kai Pfaffenbach/Pool Photo via AP)
BERLIN A far-right extremist in Germany was convicted Thursday and sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a regional politician who had advocated helping refugees a brazen killing that shocked the country.
In its verdict against 47-year-old Stephan Ernst, the Frankfurt state court noted the “particular severity” of the crime, meaning that he will likely not be eligible for release after 15 years as is typical under German law, the dpa news agency reported.
During his trial, Ernst admitted to the June 1, 2019 shooting of Walter Luebcke, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party who led the regional administration in the Kassel area of central Germany though he gave three different versions of events.