Teen Convicted for Plotting Islamist Attack on German Christmas Market

Germany's highest court upholds a four-year youth sentence for a 17-year-old who planned a deadly attack in Leverkusen with an accomplice.

The Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe confirmed the four-year youth sentence for the 17-year-old, rejecting his appeal.
The teenager, a Russian national living in Brandenburg, was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and using symbols of a banned organization.
He and a 15-year-old accomplice planned to drive a truck into a crowded Christmas market in Leverkusen in November 2023, aiming to kill as many people as possible.
The pair intended to film the attack and post the footage online as propaganda for the Islamic State (IS).
Authorities intervened two days before the planned attack after monitoring their online communications, leading to both teenagers' arrests and subsequent convictions.