German court orders man born in Afghanistan held after knife attack at an anti-political Islam event

A forensic police officers walks past a smashed stall of Pax Europa which had a banner with writing reading “Stop political Islam,” on the market square in Mannheim on May 31, 2024. (AP)

• A statement from police and prosecutors said that the suspect had lived in Germany since 2014, was married and has two children
• Officials said that the suspect, who was shot and wounded by police, was hospitalized and not in a condition to be questioned

FRANKFURT, Germany: A German court on Saturday ordered a 25-year-old man born in Afghanistan held on suspicion of attempted murder in connection with a knife attack at an event organized by a group opposing “political Islam” that left six people injured.
The victims included a police officer who remained hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after he was stabbed while trying to intervene, police and prosecutors said in a joint statement.
Officials offered no information regarding the motive for the attack on Friday on the central square in Mannheim.
A statement from police and prosecutors said that the suspect had lived in Germany since 2014, was married and has two children. His apartment in the town of Heppenheim was searched Friday night and police recovered digital devices whose contents were being evaluated.
Officials said that the suspect, who was shot and wounded by police, was hospitalized and not in a condition to be questioned. They said he had no prior police record.
They haven’t disclosed the suspect’s citizenship or immigration status or how he came to Germany.
The group, Pax Europa, describes itself as an organization that informs the public about the dangers posed by the “increasing spread and influence of political Islam.” Michael Stürzenberger, an anti-Islamist activist who is one of the group’s leading figures and has spoken at its events, was among those wounded.
Stürzenberger, 59, posted a picture of himself on his Telegram channel from his hospital bed, showing a long, bandaged cut on his upper lip and cheek. He said he had suffered “significant blood loss” from a stab wound in his thigh as well as a cut on his jaw that had been stapled shut.
The other victims were five men ages 25, 36, 42, and 54. The 25-year-old man has been released from the hospital, while the others were still be treated. The 54-year-old man suffered injuries that were initially life-threatening, but he was now out of danger.