The CDU foreign policy politician Roderich Kiesewetter has clearly criticized the Russian behavior in the so-called "Tiergartenmord Affair". The government in Moscow had not helped in the investigation of the murder, so Germany expelled Russian diplomats, said Kiesewetter in the radio station Bavaria 2. That Russia ignored the request of Germany for clarification, speak for it, "that Russia does not want to participate, so something to hide ".
Kiesewetter clearly rejected criticism of German behavior: The outcry that is now coming from Russia is "hypocritical". "For us it is clear that a country that meets contract killings - and that is at least the slightest insight - can not be treated on equal terms."
In August, a 40-year-old Georgian was shot dead in the Kleiner Tiergarten in Berlin. A 49-year-old suspect was arrested and is in custody.
Shortly after the fact, research by SPIEGEL and its cooperation partners Bellingcat, The Insider and The Dossier Center had revealed clues that suggested a government contractor: the victim had fought in the second Chechen war against Russian forces and later for Georgia and Ukraine worked against Russian interests. Since 2016 he lived in Germany (read more here).
Russia denies participation
On Wednesday, the Attorney General took over the investigation into the alleged contract killing. He pursues the initial suspicion that state agencies in Russia are behind the murder Thus, the process gets a new quality. The supreme law enforcement agency actually suspects Russia of state terrorism on German soil.
The federal government dismissed two Russian diplomats in connection with the murder case. Russia denies any involvement in the murder of the Small Tiergarten. "This is an absolutely baseless speculation," Kremlin spokesman Dimitri Peskov said during a conference call.
However, CDU politician Kiesewetter does not expect an escalation of tensions in German-Russian relations. "I do not expect an escalation, just hope that Russia is ready to finally participate." Since Germany has responded "very moderately", he assumes that "we continue to have a reasonable relationship".
Should it be confirmed that Russia has commissioned the murder, it must respond at EU level: "Then we need a European answer."
FDP faction vice Stephan Thomae said in the ZDF "Morgenmagazin", it was a very serious case, which could represent the beginning of another crisis. The expulsion of the two Russian diplomats from Germany may be "only the beginning", he still sees "more diplomatic escalation levels".