Two young men are standing trial in Stuttgart, accused of making a series of bomb threats targeting schools, public authorities, universities, and religious communities across Germany. The charges relate to a series of threats sent in the autumn of 2023, allegedly coordinated through online platforms.
The defendants are young, one aged 20 another is one year older. The 20-year-old is accused of sending 51 threatening emails. His accomplice allegedly encouraged him via an online messaging platform, according to the prosecutor’s statement.
Both are charged with disturbing the public peace by threatening to commit criminal offences. The younger defendant stated at the opening of the trial that he was willing to testify at the next court hearing. The 21-year-old, however, will remain silent for now, his defense lawyer said.
Prosecutors have also brought a separate charge of attempted incitement to murder against the older defendant. He is alleged to have paid two individuals two years ago to kill someone, though the act was never carried out.
The bomb threats affected institutions across eight of Germany’s 16 federal states. In Baden-Württemberg alone, targets included the University of Stuttgart, a police academy, and the Jewish community in Ulm.
