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‘Veil martyr’ trial delayed by defendant tantrum

The man on trial for murdering Marwa El-Sherbini, a pregnant Egyptian woman who died in a Dresden courtroom, delayed the third day of legal proceedings against him on Wednesday by intentionally banging his head on a table.

Published: 28 October 2009 14:47 CET

'Veil martyr' trial delayed by defendant tantrum

Photo: DPA

The judge said that the Russian-born German defendant Alex Wiens began “acting up” during a vehicle transport between his cell and the courtroom. As he was escorted into the court, he stamped his feet and threw his head against a table – a tantrum that required nine police officers to subdue.

A medical examination showed bruising to Wiens’ head and on other parts of his body, but proceedings were delayed while the court considered a second medical examination. Wiens complained of a headache and his lawyer said he could have a concussion after the incident.

On Monday, El-Sherbini’s husband Elwy Okaz testified against Wiens, describing how he stabbed his wife repeatedly with a kitchen knife in July – in the same building where the current trial is underway.

When Okaz tried to protect his wife, he was also stabbed and severely injured by Wiens. During the altercation, officers in the courtroom also shot Okaz in the leg instead of his attacker.

The couple had been in court to testify against Wiens for defamation after he called El-Sherbini a “terrorist,” an “Islamist” and a “whore” for wearing a headscarf during a dispute at a playground in the eastern German city.

The attack sparked outrage and anti-German protests in the Muslim world, where media dubbed El-Sherbini the “veil martyr.”

A verdict in the trial is expected on November 11.

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Germany, Czech Republic accuse Russia of cyberattacks

The accusations come at a time of strained relations between Moscow and the West following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the European Union’s support for Kyiv.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said a newly concluded government investigation found that a cyberattack targeting members of the Social Democratic Party had been carried out by a group known as APT28.

APT28 “is steered by the military intelligence service of Russia”, Baerbock told reporters during a visit to Australia.

“In other words, it was a state-sponsored Russian cyberattack on Germany and this is absolutely intolerable and unacceptable and will have consequences.”

APT28, also known as Fancy Bear, has been accused of dozens of cyberattacks in countries around the world. Russia denies being behind such actions.

The hacking attack on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s SPD party was made public last year. Hackers exploited a previously unknown vulnerability in Microsoft Outlook to compromise e-mail accounts, according to Berlin.

Berlin on Friday summoned the acting charge d’affaires of the Russian embassy over the incident.

The Russian embassy in Germany said its envoy “categorically rejected the accusations that Russian state structures were involved in the given incident… as unsubstantiated and groundless”.

Arms, aerospace targeted: Berlin

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said the cyber campaign was orchestrated by Russia’s military intelligence service GRU and began in 2022. It also targeted German companies in the armaments and aerospace sectors, she said.

Such cyberattacks are “a threat to our democracy, national security and our free societies”, she told a joint news conference in Prague with her Czech counterpart Vit Rakusan.

“We are calling on Russia again to stop these activities,” Faeser added.

Czech government officials said some of its state institutions had also been the target of cyberattacks blamed on APT28, again by exploiting a weakness in Microsoft Outlook in 2023.

Czech Interior Minister Rakusan said his country’s infrastructure had recently experienced “higher dozens” of such attacks.

“The Czech Republic is a target. In the long term, it has been perceived by the Russian Federation as an enemy state,” he told reporters.

EU, NATO condemnation

The German and Czech findings triggered strong condemnation from the European Union.

“The malicious cyber campaign shows Russia’s continuous pattern of irresponsible behaviour in cyberspace, by targeting democratic institutions, government entities and critical infrastructure providers across the European Union and beyond,” EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said.

The EU would “make use of the full spectrum of measures to prevent, deter and respond to Russia’s malicious behaviour in cyberspace”, he added.

State institutions, agencies and entities in other member states including in Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia and Sweden had been targeted by APT28 in the past, the statement added.

The latest accusations come a day after NATO expressed “deep concern” over Russia’s “hybrid actions” including disinformation, sabotage and cyber interference.

The row also comes as millions of Europeans prepare to go to the polls for the European Parliament elections in June, and concerns about foreign meddling are running high.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky told AFP that “pointing a finger publicly at a specific attacker is an important tool to protect national interests”.

One of the most high-profile incidents so far blamed on Fancy Bear was a cyberattack in 2015 that paralysed the computer network of the German lower house of parliament, the Bundestag. It forced the entire institution offline for days while it was fixed.

In 2020, the EU imposed sanctions on individuals and entities linked to the APT28 group over the incident.

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