Magdeburg
Hostage-taking trial against Halle attackers
The defendant Stephan Balliet (archive photo) has to appear in court again for taking hostages and violating the weapons law. photo
© Ronny Hartmann/AFP/POOL/dpa
He is in prison with the maximum sentence for the Halle attack. There he is said to have taken guards hostage. The act, which showed the man’s dangerousness, ended bloodlessly. Now it’s the justice system’s turn.
Just over a year ago, the Halle assassin, who was sentenced to the maximum sentence, took control of law enforcement officers in the Burg prison – and now he has to answer for taking hostages. The trial against the 32-year-old has begun Magdeburg started. The responsible regional court in Stendal is negotiating under high security precautions in a high-security room in the state capital of Saxony-Anhalt. Stephan Balliet is considered an extreme security risk.
He was sentenced to life imprisonment and preventive detention in December 2020 for the racist and anti-Semitic attack in Halle. On October 9, 2019, the highest Jewish holiday, Yom Kippur, he tried to storm the synagogue in Halle and cause a massacre. When he failed, he murdered two people near the synagogue.
The accusation: The prisoner, who became known as the Halle assassin, was serving his life sentence in the Burg high-security prison at the time of the crime. In the evening hours of December 12, 2022, he is said to have forced several law enforcement officers with a homemade gun to open various doors for him to escape from prison, according to the Naumburg Public Prosecutor’s Office. He is said to have reached a vehicle lock, where his attempt to escape failed due to technical security measures. The charges are for taking hostages and violating the weapons law.
According to a report by the Federal Criminal Police Office, the shooting device consisted mainly of components from a staple gun, a wooden pin, wires and a small metal tube.
The location of the hearing: The Stendal regional court has decided to hold the hearing in a high-security room and there is no such room in Stendal. The trial for the acts of October 9, 2019 had already taken place in Magdeburg in 2020 in this largest justice hall in Saxony-Anhalt. The former library was specially equipped for the process, for example the spectator area was surrounded by safety glass.
The prisoner: He is considered an extreme safety risk for others and himself. This is not only derived from the accused crimes, but also from his unpredictable and highly aggressive behavior in custody. There are said to be quiet phases in which the 32-year-old doesn’t speak and hardly moves, alternating with sudden outbursts. There should be virtually no communication between the prisoner and prison staff, psychiatrists, social workers and doctors. He is considered incapable of treatment and not willing to receive treatment.
This was reportedly evident during his time in prison in Saxony-Anhalt as well as in Augsburg, Bavaria, and Wolfenbüttel, Lower Saxony. Balliet has been largely isolated since his imprisonment. The presiding judge in the trial, Simone Henze-von Staden, ordered that the defendant be transported in handcuffs and ankle cuffs. During the trial, his handcuffs are removed, but his ankle cuffs remain.
The trial: The reading of the indictment is planned for the start. The defendant is then given the opportunity to comment. Recordings from the surveillance cameras from the Burg prison could also be shown, according to an announcement from the Stendal regional court. In the trial, two correctional officers who were hostages appeared as co-plaintiffs, as a spokesman for the Stendal regional court also announced. For example, with a lawyer you have the opportunity to ask questions, submit requests for evidence and also plead. It is also about recognition as a victim and possible compensation. The court has initially scheduled eight hearing dates until February 29th.
What punishment can the defendant face?
If the 32-year-old is convicted, he will face a prison sentence of between 5 and 15 years, according to a spokesman for the Stendal regional court. For the time being, this makes no difference for the defendant, as he is already serving a life sentence for the Halle attack. Also because the particular gravity of the guilt has been established, the end of the prison term is open. And even after that, Balliet would not be released, but would be placed in preventive detention to protect the population from him.