A German court is expected to deliver its verdict Monday in the trial of a right-wing extremist who attacked a synagogue on Yom Kippur, Judaism's holiest day, killing two people after he failed to gain entry to the building.
The Oct. 9, 2019, attack is considered one of the worst anti-Semitic assaults in Germany's post-war history. The 28-year-old defendant, Stephan Balliet, has is alleged to have posted a screed against Jews before trying to shoot his way into the synagogue in the eastern city of Halle while broadcasting the attack live on a popular gaming site.
Federal prosecutors have asked the Naumburg state court, meeting in nearby Magdeburg, to convict Balliet of murder, attempted murder, incitement to hatred and attempted violent extortion. They urged judges to find him "seriously culpable," meaning that he would be barred from early release after 15 years.