‘I fired the shot’: German neo-Nazi on trial over politician murder admits to killing
- Stephan Ernst, 46, was speaking during trial at court in Frankfurt earlier today
- Pro-refugee politician Walter Luebcke was shot in the head on June 1, 2019
- His death highlighted the growing threat of right-wing extremism in the country
A German neo-Nazi on trial over the murder of pro-refugee politician Walter Luebcke has admitted to the killing.
Stephan Ernst, 46, told the court in Frankfurt earlier today: ‘I fired the shot.’
Federal prosecutors have said Ernst was motivated by ‘racism and xenophobia’ when he shot Luebcke in the head on June 1, 2019.
The death shocked the country and highlighted the growing threat of right-wing extremism.
Stephan Ernst, 46, (pictured) has admitted to killing pro-refugee politician Walter Luebcke during his trial earlier today
The killing of Luebcke is believed to be Germany’s first far-right political assassination since World War II.
The 65-year-old belonged to Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative CDU party and headed the Kassel regional council in the western state of Hesse.
He supported Merkel’s 2015 decision to open the country’s borders to refugees and spoke in favour of hosting asylum seekers in a local town.
Prosecutors believe Ernst attended a speech by Luebcke in October 2015 when the politician defended helping refugees and said anyone who did not agree with those values was ‘free to leave the country’.
The remark was widely shared online and turned Luebcke into a hate figure for the far right.
After the speech, Ernst ‘increasingly projected his hatred of foreigners’ on to Luebcke, prosecutors said in the indictment.
The killing of Mr Luebcke (pictured in 2012) is believed to be Germany’s first far-right political assassination since World War II
Between 2016 and 2018, prosecutors say Ernst worked alongside co-defendant Markus H. who is accused of helping Ernst to train with firearms – including the murder weapon.
The two are said to have also attended right-wing demonstrations together.
In the course of their investigations, prosecutors separately charged Ernst with attempted murder for allegedly stabbing an Iraqi asylum seeker in the back in 2016.
They also uncovered weapons and ammunition belonging to Ernst, including revolvers, pistols and a submachine gun.