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Walter Lübcke: The CDU politician was murdered by right-wing extremist Stephan Ernst in 2019
Photo: Uwe Zucchi / dpa
Almost two years after the murder of the Kassel District President Walter Lübcke, charges have been brought against the alleged seller of the later murder weapon.
The public prosecutor's office in Düsseldorf accuses the 65-year-old Elmar J. from East Westphalia of negligent homicide and violation of the weapons law.
He is said to have sold the murder weapon and ammunition in 2016, Lübcke's later murderer Stephan Ernst.
The Paderborn Regional Court now has to decide whether the indictment will be admitted to the main hearing, the authority in Düsseldorf announced.
Allegation of aid dropped
J. was initially investigated by the federal prosecutor's office for complicity in murder.
Then the allegation of aid was dropped and the proceedings were handed over to Paderborn.
After the Federal Court of Justice surprisingly overturned his arrest warrant in January 2020, Elmar J. was released after more than half a year of pre-trial detention.
The judges had doubts as to whether the man could really have suspected in 2016 what kind of deed Ernst would commit with the weapon more than two and a half years later.
The attorney general had argued that the arms dealer must have been aware that Ernst was a right-wing extremist who was ready to use violence.
So at least he accepted that he could kill for political reasons.
That did not convince the BGH: Between 2014 and 2018, Ernst took several weapons from the dealer, some of which he resold at a profit.
He also never specifically asked about a weapon that would be well suited to a crime.
The 47-year-old right-wing extremist Stephan Ernst was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Frankfurt Higher Regional Court at the end of January for the murder of CDU politician Lübcke.
An appeal against the judgment is still pending.
Lübcke was killed on June 1, 2019 on the terrace of his house with a head shot from close range.
The act is considered the first right-wing extremist murder of a politician in the Federal Republic.
Lübcke had spoken out in favor of accepting refugees.
bbr / dpa