(Deutsche Welle) The trial of a 27-year-old Syrian man accused of murder and attempted murder began at the Higher Regional Court of Düsseldorf in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia on Monday.
Federal prosecutors, who took over the case on August 30, have charged the man with one count of murder and three counts of attempted murder, as well as aggravated assault and grievous bodily harm in connection with two crimes.
Both incidents occurred nine days apart in the western industrial city of Duisburg this April.
As he was led into the courtroom, the defendant repeatedly flashed hand signals identified with the radical Islamist terror group “Islamic State” (IS) — with which he identifies — while the parents of the murder victim looked on. He also refused to stand as the judge entered the courtroom.
