Proceedings commence in case of alleged Russian sabotage – DW – May 20, 2025

Police in the western city of Bielefeld said they arrested a suspect after an attack outside a bar left several people injured. 

Authorities had been searching for the suspect, whom they identified as a 35-year-old Syrian man, since early Sunday. 

According to investigators, the man is said to have randomly attacked revelers outside a bar in downtown Bielefeld with a sharp object, injuring at least five people before going on the run.

Police said the suspect left behind a bag that contained personal documents and a bottle containing a liquid that smelled of gasoline.

The attack has drawn speculation that the suspect did not act spontaneously but had planned an attack.

Police said they may provide further information on Tuesday. 

The trial of three men accused of spying for Russia is due to begin at a regional court in the southern city of Munich. 

The trio, all German-Russian dual nationals, are also charged with planning sabotage plots against military infrastructure and railway lines in Germany.

Police first arrested two of them, identified* as Dieter S. and Alexander J., in Bavaria last year. The third defendant, Alex D., was arrested separately. 

The main suspect in the case is Dieter S., who is believed to have been at the center of sabotage plots, while the other two are alleged to have helped him.

Prosecutors have also charged Dieter S. with “membership in a foreign terrorist organization” for allegedly belonging to a pro-Russian militia in eastern Ukraine between 2014 and 2016.

According to prosecutors, it was during this time that he came into contact with Russian intelligence services. 

The trial kicks off Tuesday at the Higher Regional Court in Munich at 10 a.m. local time (0800 UTC). Over 40 hearings are scheduled until December. 

*DW follows the German press code, which stresses the importance of protecting the privacy of suspected criminals or victims and obliges us to refrain from revealing full names in such cases.

Guten Morgen from Bonn. A few trials in Germany are making headlines today, most notably that of three dual German-Russian citizens accused of spying for Moscow. 

Also on the agenda today: the Interior Ministry is giving a briefing on annual figures of politically-motivated crime, and Germany will face Denmark in the ice hockey World Championship.