Two Afghans have been arrested in the German city of Gera, in Thuringia, for plotting an attack on the Swedish parliament.
Many thanks to Gary Fouse for translating this article from the Süddeutsche Zeitung:
Thuringia: Two terror suspects arrested in Gera
by Nadja Lissok and Alex Ruele
March 19, 2024The two men from Afghanistan allegedly planned an attack not far from the Swedish parliament, according to the accusation by the Federal Prosecutor’s Office.
On Tuesday, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office ordered the arrest of two alleged Islamists in Gera (Thuringia) on suspicion of terrorism. The two men are accused of planning an attack near the Swedish Parliament with firearms, a spokeswoman in Karlsruhe reported.
The attack would have been a reaction to the Koran-burnings in Sweden and other Scandinavian countries last summer. The two Afghans reportedly received directions from an affiliate of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the prosecuting authorities report. Their mission was reportedly to kill police and other people in and around the Swedish Parliament. According to the Federal Prosecutor’s Office, the two suspects scouted out possible attack sites on the Internet and unsuccessfully attempted to obtain weapons. In addition, they allegedly collected donations in Germany for the Islamic State of some €2,000.
Revenge on behalf of the Islamic State
In December of last year, two Syrian brothers who were living in Germany were sentenced to prison for planning to detonate an explosive belt in a Swedish church. Their motive was revenge for the repeated Koran-burnings. The Islamic State had given them the assignment to target a church. In October, a Tunisian Islamist, who was living illegally in Brussels, shot two Swedish football fans on the street and injured two others during a qualification game. In a confessional video, he also claimed to be acting in the name of ISIS. The man was shot by police.
The accused from Gera are expected to be brought before an investigating judge on Tuesday or Wednesday. There the arrest warrants will be opened, which were issued almost two weeks ago. The question of possible pre-trial detention will also be decided. Specifically, the investigators accuse the two of belonging to and supporting a terrorist association abroad and conspiracy to commit a crime, in this case, murder, as well as violations of the Foreign Trade Law.