Syrian convicted of killing man, injuring another in Germany

Defendant Abdullah A. arrives before hearing the verdict of his trial for murder. AP Photo

BERLIN: A Syrian man was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison on Friday for stabbing two men in the German city of Dresden, killing one and seriously injuring his partner in an attack last year that prosecutors said was motivated by anti-gay Islamic extremist beliefs.
The state court in Dresden convicted the 21-year-old, who has been identified only as Abdullah A.H.H. in line with German privacy rules, of murder, attempted murder and bodily harm, news agency dpa reported. Judges ruled that he bears particularly severe guilt, which effectively means he won’t be released after 15 years as is common in Germany.
The attack took place on Oct. 4 when the two men were visiting Dresden.
Federal prosecutors charged that the defendant used kitchen knives to attack the two men in their 50s from behind because they were holding hands and he believed they were a gay couple, which he considered to be a “grave sin.” He was arrested almost three weeks later.
The defendant, a native of Aleppo who came to Germany as a refugee in 2015, had been released from prison a month before the attack after serving a three-year juvenile sentence for promoting the extremist Islamic State group and subsequently attacking a prison guard.