Shafaq News – Berlin

On Wednesday, a Syrian man has been sentenced to life in prison for killing three people and wounding 10 others in a 2024 stabbing attack at a festival in Solingen, western Germany.

According to a court statement, the man, born in Syria in 1998, fled ISIS in 2013 during Syria’s civil war and was among the hundreds of thousands displaced by the conflict. He arrived in Germany in 2022.

Prosecutors emphasized that he deliberately targeted Solingen’s "Diversity Festival," striking attendees indiscriminately in the neck and upper body.

They also highlighted that before the attack, he contacted an Islamic State (ISIS) operative via Telegram, recording a video pledging allegiance to the group.

‘’At the start of his trial, he expressed remorse, acknowledging a heavy burden of guilt,’’ the statement added. However, he later adopted a defiant stance, arguing that the attack was a response to Germany’s arms sales to Israel during the Gaza war.

“I could not bear to see celebrations in Germany while Palestinian children were being killed,” he stressed.

The incident reshaped Germany’s latest election campaign, boosting support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and prompting Chancellor Friedrich Merz to tighten immigration policies and make migration a central focus of his campaign.