Trial against arsonists: Two men make partial confessions!

Trial against arsonists: Two men make partial confessions!

A highly publicized trial began at the Verden Regional Court on September 26, 2025. Three alleged supporters of Daniela Klette, a well-known figure in the radical milieu, are indicted. Two of the defendants, aged 36 and 38, have made partial confessions, while the third, whose identity has not yet been revealed, stayed away from the trial and is now wanted. They face fines or even pre-trial detention if they are not caught soon. The trial is the result of a planned arson attack on the new building of the Verden public prosecutor's office, which was scheduled to take place on October 5, 2018.

As the Verden public prosecutor's office reported, the defendants planned to set fire to several car tires to protest against the public prosecutor's office and to express their solidarity with Klette. They had hidden petrol in travel bags and wanted to give their action a strong symbol, without intending to cause any actual harm. However, the police were able to stop the men in time when they were on site due to a disturbance near the Meyer building.

From planning to arrest

The investigation into this complicated case took a total of five years, partly due to staff shortages. The charges were not brought until 2023, which resulted in a significant delay as other, more urgent proceedings took priority. The court is now dealing with the question of whether this arson should also be considered a serious offense, since in Germany such acts become statute-barred after ten years.

The two defendants present admitted that they wanted to set something on fire, but not the public prosecutor's office building itself. Christoph Sch. explained in the hearing that they just wanted to make a statement. The court could offer the defendants suspended sentences if they reject violence as a political tool and express their deep-seated discomfort.

Daniela Klette and her companions

At the center of the proceedings is Daniela Klette, who was arrested in Berlin in February 2024 and has to answer for, among other things, attempted murder and illegal possession of weapons. Klette was involved in a failed robbery on a cash-in-transit truck in Wolfsburg, in which a witness still suffers from the physical and psychological consequences to this day. In the coming months, the court is also likely to deal with other attacks, such as in Stuhr.

Arsons: A worrying development

The number of arson cases recorded by the police in Germany is a serious problem, as current statistics from the Federal Criminal Police Office show. The development speaks for itself, as the authorities registered a large number of arson cases between 2013 and 2024. This worrying trend shows that arson is not just an isolated incident, but is a growing phenomenon that must be addressed decisively.

The verdict in this trial is expected in mid-November and the public is showing strong interest in how the situation will develop.