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Policewoman and policeman in front of the synagogue in Hagen (May 2021): Terror suspect in custody
Photo: Jonas Güttler / picture alliance / dpa
The alleged attack plan by a 16-year-old on a synagogue in Hagen was apparently further advanced than previously known. As can be seen from chat messages evaluated by the investigators, the Syrian had probably already scouted the place of worship on site. The alleged Islamist knew details of a construction site at the synagogue that had been set up after flood damage in July. The youngster also knew that the building was being guarded.
After a warning from a foreign secret service, the suspect was arrested on September 16.
The public prosecutor's office in Düsseldorf suspects him of planning an attack on the synagogue for the Jewish Yom Kippur festival.
However, the authorities did not find any explosives during searches.
The suspect denied the allegations, his defense lawyer initially did not want to comment on SPIEGEL's request.
more on the subject
Suspected attack plan on synagogue in Hagen: How the investigators tracked down the terror suspectBy Tobias Großekemper and Roman Lehberger
When evaluating the suspect's cell phone, the investigators came across a chat on the Telegram messenger service. In it he communicated between the middle and the end of August with a suspected instructor and explosives expert from the IS terrorist militia with the battle name »Abu Harb«. It is unclear who is behind the pseudonym. The security authorities suspect the Arabic-speaking person is abroad and suspect them in another case: In August, "Abu Harb" is said to have instructed a young person in Berlin on a planned bomb construction. Before he could get the chemicals he needed, the State Criminal Police Office intervened. The Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating the boy on suspicion of terrorism. In this case, too, the security authorities had received a tip from a Western partner service.
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