German federal prosecutors announced on Wednesday the arrest of a Syrian national in Berlin, accused of being an accomplice in the stabbing of a Spanish tourist at the Holocaust Memorial last year.
Details of the Arrest
The suspect, identified only as Khalaf A. in accordance with German privacy laws, is believed to have acted as an accessory to attempted murder and causing bodily harm. According to prosecutors, he spent the afternoon of February 21, 2025, with Wassim Al M., the man convicted of the stabbing, and encouraged him to carry out the attack.
Background of the Attack
Wassim Al M., also a Syrian citizen, was convicted in March on charges including attempted murder and attempted membership in a foreign terrorist organization. He received a 13-year prison sentence. The Berlin district court determined that he traveled from Leipzig to Berlin with the intent to commit an attack in the name of the Islamic State group.
The perpetrator specifically targeted the Holocaust Memorial, believing he would find Jewish individuals there, as stated by presiding judge Doris Husch. He stabbed the Spanish tourist in the throat and shouted 'Allahu akbar' (God is great) before being subdued.
The Holocaust Memorial
The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, located near the Brandenburg Gate in central Berlin, consists of 2,700 gray concrete slabs and commemorates the 6 million Jews killed during the Holocaust.
The stabbing occurred just two days before a German national election, where migration had become a central issue following a series of deadly attacks involving immigrants in the preceding months.
