A police officer seriously injured after being stabbed during an anti-Islamic event in Mannheim, Germany, has been placed in an induced coma, officials said on Saturday as the suspected perpetrator was charged with attempted murder.
“He is still in critical condition,” said a police spokesman in the western German state of Baden-Württemberg.
The attack took place on Friday morning at an event organized by the Pax Europa movement, and five other people were also injured. The motive for the attack remains unclear.
According to police, the suspected perpetrator underwent surgery after suffering gunshot wounds during his arrest. Due to his condition, he would still be unable to be interrogated.
The public prosecutor’s office in the city of Karlsruhe and the Baden-Württemberg State Criminal Investigation Office confirmed that an arrest warrant had been issued for the 25-year-old attacker, who was born in Afghanistan.
The man, who lives in the western German state of Hesse, is married and has two children, has been charged with attempted murder.
His home was also searched, police said. He was previously unknown to the police.
The attack comes at a time of deep division in Germany over Israel’s military campaign against the Palestinian militant organization Hamas in Gaza.
It also coincides with growing debate around the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which has a strong anti-immigration stance, ahead of next week’s European Parliament elections.
Omid Nouripour, co-leader of the Greens, one of three parties in the country’s ruling coalition, called for democratic solidarity after the knife attack.
“We will not allow the democratic culture in this country to be destroyed by violence, regardless of whether it comes from Islamists or right-wing extremists,” said Muslim Nouripour at a party conference in Potsdam.
“There is no place for violence in the political debate in this country,” he added, describing the attack in Mannheim as abhorrent.
Despite the incident, Pax Europa said it is planning further public events. This Saturday, the anti-Islamist group will set up a stand outside the train station in the western city of Dortmund, its treasurer Stefanie Kizina told dpa.
She expected that the police will “definitely tighten security measures.” Pax Europa had no intention of ensuring its own security, Kizina said.
According to Kizina, the attack specifically targeted Pax Europa board member Michael Stürzenberger, who suffered serious injuries.
Stürzenberger would “certainly continue” his work with the organization, she said. However, due to his injuries, he was not expected to attend the event next week.
Writing on the social media platform Telegram, Stürzenberger on Saturday thanked all doctors involved in his treatment, as well as facial surgeons who traveled from a specialist clinic to assist with the operation.
“It was very close yesterday,” the 59-year-old wrote. He suffered several stab wounds, including one to his thigh, which caused ‘significant blood loss’. His face was also injured, he said.
