During his detention demonstration at the Federal Court in Karlsruhe, the assassin of Halle, Stephan Balliet, has largely admitted the allegations of the Federal Prosecutor's Office. This explained his defender Hans-Dieter Weber in conversation with the SPIEGEL.
In the interrogation Balliet repeatedly referred to the video recorded by him in the interrogation. In it he had declared that he wanted to kill targeted Jews. After Balliet's plan to penetrate a synagogue in Halle (Saale) had failed, he said he had been "overwhelmed" and his plan had "gotten out of hand," said his lawyer.
The 27-year-old had then shot a woman accidentally hit on the street and the visitor of a doner kebab snack. Other passers-by were sometimes seriously injured by gunfire.
According to his defense counsel Balliet told the investigating judge of the Federal Court: "I killed people I did not want to meet." In the words of his lawyer, he regrets this and hopes that the seriously injured persons he shot during his escape will survive.
To his political motivation Balliet said that he has a "Jew critical attitude". He also denied being a National Socialist. Not every anti-Semite is a National Socialist, he said, according to his defender.
Asked about possible accomplices or supporters Balliet has stated that he acted completely alone. He also made his own weapons, from simple means, for little money. So he bought steel worth 50 euros, a telescope for 20 euros and a thousand cartridge cases for 25 euros. Asked about his income, he explained that he was unemployed. Once, however, he had received from an unknown person with whom he communicated on the Internet, 0.1 Bitcoin - currently around 750 euros.
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His defense lawyer described the former chemistry students from Saxony-Anhalt as intelligent and eloquent, but "socially isolated". He had social contacts primarily via so-called "image boards" on the Internet. He especially appreciated the "absolute anonymity".
There he also consumed conspiracy-theoretical content, which apparently contributed to his radicalization.
Meanwhile, warrants were issued against Stephan Balliet; The Attorney General accuses him of, inter alia, twice murder and attempted murder in nine cases. The investigators assume a right-wing extremist and anti-Semitic motive.
