Germany Commemorates NSU Neo-Nazi Terror Group Exposure
(MENAFN) Germany held commemorative events on Wednesday marking 15 years since the discovery of the neo-Nazi terrorist organization National Socialist Underground (NSU), as renewed demands emerged for a more comprehensive examination of its unresolved crimes.
In the eastern German city of Zwickau, where the group's three main members had secretly lived for several years, government representatives and civil society organizations attended a memorial ceremony. The event was followed by a silent tribute at a local memorial site, where participants placed flowers, lit candles and displayed paper cranes in remembrance of the victims.
The organization came to public attention on Nov. 4, 2011, after two of its members died by suicide following an unsuccessful bank robbery in Eisenach. The third member, Beate Zschaepe, subsequently set fire to the group's apartment in Zwickau on the same day. Investigators later connected the organization to a seven-year campaign involving racially motivated killings, bombings and bank robberies.
Between 2000 and 2007, the NSU murdered eight people of Turkish descent, a Greek national and a German police officer. Most of the victims were small-business operators. During much of the investigation, authorities overlooked possible racist motivations and instead focused on suspected connections between the victims' families and organized crime.
Barbara John, a prominent politician who served as the federal government's representative for victims and their relatives, renewed demands for financial compensation for affected families.
Speaking to reports, John argued that no other community impacted by terrorism in Germany had experienced the same treatment from state authorities as the families targeted by the NSU.
In the eastern German city of Zwickau, where the group's three main members had secretly lived for several years, government representatives and civil society organizations attended a memorial ceremony. The event was followed by a silent tribute at a local memorial site, where participants placed flowers, lit candles and displayed paper cranes in remembrance of the victims.
The organization came to public attention on Nov. 4, 2011, after two of its members died by suicide following an unsuccessful bank robbery in Eisenach. The third member, Beate Zschaepe, subsequently set fire to the group's apartment in Zwickau on the same day. Investigators later connected the organization to a seven-year campaign involving racially motivated killings, bombings and bank robberies.
Between 2000 and 2007, the NSU murdered eight people of Turkish descent, a Greek national and a German police officer. Most of the victims were small-business operators. During much of the investigation, authorities overlooked possible racist motivations and instead focused on suspected connections between the victims' families and organized crime.
Barbara John, a prominent politician who served as the federal government's representative for victims and their relatives, renewed demands for financial compensation for affected families.
Speaking to reports, John argued that no other community impacted by terrorism in Germany had experienced the same treatment from state authorities as the families targeted by the NSU.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Comments
No comment