extremism
Lübcke murder: alleged arms seller denies allegation
The defendant (left) is sitting next to his defense lawyer Ashraf Abouzeid in the jury court room of the Paderborn regional court. Photo: Friso Gentsch / dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Around two and a half years ago, the Kassel District President Walter Lübcke was shot on the terrace of his house. Now a man has to answer for selling the murder weapon.
In connection with the murder of the Kassel District President Walter Lübcke, the 66-year-old accused of negligent homicide denied the sale of the murder weapon.
Before the Regional Court of Paderborn, the defense attorney for Elmar J. said that his client admitted a violation of the gun law. Defense attorney Ashraf Abouzeid said at the start of the trial on Wednesday that his client regrets having illegally possessed firearms ammunition. Elmar J. expressly denies the accusation of negligent homicide in connection with the murder of CDU politician Lübcke.
The public prosecutor’s office accuses the defendant from East Westphalia of having sold Lübcke’s later murderer Stephan Ernst the murder weapon and ammunition for around 1,100 euros in 2016. The prosecution, Julia Florczak, said that he negligently contributed to the death of a person through intentional and illegal actions.
Met at the flea market
Defense attorney Abouzeid emphasized that after the murder of Lübcke became known, his client initially feared that the crime had been committed with one of the “objects” that he himself had sold to Ernst. But this was definitely not the case. His client had a “certain affinity for the Third Reich” and also collected Nazi devotional items. Seriously he wants to get to know about junk trading at the flea market.
According to the prosecutor, Elmar J. had sold several weapons to the right-wing extremist Ernst. The accused was aware of the racist sentiments of the later murderer von Lübcke. According to the indictment, buyers and sellers did not have a gun license. That was also clear to Elmar J.
Stephan Ernst was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Frankfurt Higher Regional Court for the murder of Lübcke at the end of January 2021. An appeal against the judgment is still pending. Lübcke was killed on June 1, 2019 on the terrace of his house with a head shot from close range. The act is considered the first right-wing extremist murder of a politician in the Federal Republic. Lübcke had spoken out in favor of accepting refugees.