Solingen attacker evades deportation, strikes in deadly rampage
According to the newspaper "Die Welt," Issa Al H., the suspect in the Solingen attack, was supposed to be deported from Germany to Bulgaria in 2023. "Although the deportation was already planned, it did not happen," reports the newspaper, indicating that "the man vanished into thin air."
5:31 PM EDT, August 25, 2024
On Friday in Solingen, a knife attack occurred in western Germany, resulting in three fatalities and eight serious injuries. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack on Saturday evening, stating it was "revenge for Muslims in Palestine."
The suspect, who was apprehended on Saturday evening, had been living in a refugee center in Solingen. According to "Die Welt," he had not previously attracted the attention of German authorities. "H. had no prior criminal record and was never suspected of extremism," reports the newspaper.
The man's last registered place of residence was Paderborn. In 2023, a decision was made to extradite him to Bulgaria under the Dublin Procedure, as he had crossed the EU border there. According to these rules, the country responsible for the asylum procedure is where the asylum seeker first entered.
The man, however, "vanished into thin air," according to "Die Welt," and reappeared in Solingen several months later. During this time, the deportation decision expired, and authorities assigned him a place in the center where he was eventually apprehended.
A document led authorities to H.
The newspaper "Bild" describes the details of the arrest. According to the newspaper, while conducting their search, police found a bloody jacket belonging to the perpetrator in a trash bin near the site of the attack. Inside it were the man's documents. "Therefore, the police did not decide to publish the wanted person's image," reports Bild.
The actual arrest took place on Saturday evening. A counterterrorism unit stormed the center where the 26-year-old Syrian was apprehended.
