In the trial of the spectacular burglary in the historic Green Vault in Dresden, five men were sentenced to between four years and four months and six years and three months in prison. The Dresden regional court found her guilty on Tuesday of particularly serious arson in combination with dangerous bodily harm, theft with weapons, property damage and intentional arson.
The penalty is based on a so-called deal. A sixth defendant was acquitted. He had an alibi. Some of the men could now be released from prison under strict conditions until the verdict becomes final, as a court spokesman confirmed. Only then would they have to serve the remainder of their sentence, which is still outstanding after they have served their time in custody.
The jewel coup three and a half years ago was one of the most spectacular art thefts in Germany. At that time, 21 pieces of jewelry with a total of 4,300 diamonds and brilliants with a total value of more than 113 million euros were stolen from the treasury museum in the Residenzschloss within a few minutes. The trial before the Dresden Regional Court took place under high security precautions and lasted more than a year. The proceedings were conducted before a juvenile chamber because two of the accused were only 20 years old at the time of the crime.
Six men were in the dock, now between 24 and 29 years old and all part of the extended R. family in Berlin, who are also responsible for the gold coin theft from the Bode Museum in 2017: the twin brothers Abdul Majed and Mohamed R., their elder Brother Ahmed R., her cousins Rabieh R. and Wissam R. and Bashir R. They were silent at the beginning of the process, but then the turning point at the end of 2022: Some of the jewel thieves made confessions and returned the loot – that should have a mitigating effect on their sentences. However, only 18 of the 21 stolen pieces of jewelry were recovered, some damaged and incomplete.
The presiding judge, Andreas Ziegel, declared in January 2023 that the chamber, the prosecution and the defense had agreed on a sentence of between a minimum of four years and a maximum of six years and nine months. Without a deal, a prison sentence of up to 15 years would have threatened. Four of the accused accepted the deal, the gold coin thief Ahmed R. had presented an alibi, Abdul Majed R.’s lawyers hoped for a lighter sentence – their client only helped with the preparations.
The highest penalties were now imposed on Wissam R. and Rabieh R. They are sentenced to six years and three months and six years and two months in prison, respectively. Many questions in the case remain unanswered even after the verdict: Where was the loot hidden? Who was the head of the gang of thieves? And why are museums so careless when it comes to protecting their treasures?