The defendant in murder trial for knife attack in a hamburger supermarket has had a confession read at start of process. "He explicitly pleads guilty on all counts," said defendant's lawyer before State security Senate of Hanseatic Court.

"The deeds had a religious background from his point of view," lawyer furr explained. The accused had stood under a very great tension, from which he had committed deeds.

At end of July last year, an attacker in Hamburg-Barmbek indiscriminately stabbed customers of a supermarket. A 50 year old man died, six more people were injured.

Public prosecutor sees Islamist sentiment

The defendant is a rejected asylum seeker. The arrest of 26-year-old Palestinian has triggered a debate on deportation of refugees who are subject to leave. Hamburg's mayor Olaf Scholz (SPD) had said that detained lack of papers could not have been deported. The psychological care of refugees was also discussed after fact.

According to federal prosecutor's office, defendant acted out of an Islamist sentiment. He was asked to assassinate as many German nationals as possible of Christian faith. The indictment considers him to be fully culpable and accuses him of murder and attempted murder and dangerous bodily harm in six cases.

The investigators did not find evidence that he could be involved in a Dschihadistennetzwerk. He is accused of murder and attempted murder, not terrorism.

Date Of Update: 13 January 2018, 12:02