More than two years after the arson attack on the Ulm synagogue, the Ulm regional court sentenced a 47-year-old to a prison sentence of two years and nine months. He was found guilty of attempted aggravated arson and criminal damage to property. On Tuesday, the chamber considered it proven that the man had tried to set the synagogue on fire in June 2021. The chamber also came to the conclusion that the act was anti-Semitic in motivation.
With the verdict, the court complied with the public prosecutor’s demands. According to a spokeswoman, the defense attorney had previously requested a fine of 180 daily rates. The court found it proven that the man poured a bottle of gasoline on the outside wall of the synagogue and ignited it. The incident left burn marks on the façade and soot contaminated a window.
The Turk had not provided any information about the crime, but had previously spoken in detail to the psychiatric expert about the allegations. The expert reported at the start of the trial in December that the defendant stated that he wanted to draw attention to the suffering of the Palestinians in the conflict with Israel.
The defendant’s aim was to set an example, said the presiding judge when giving reasons for the verdict. After the crime, the man fled to Turkey. He evaded prosecution for two years, but ultimately turned himself in.
The verdict is not yet legally binding.
