BERLIN (AP) — A court in Germany convicted a man of murder and sentenced him to life in prison Wednesday for carrying out a fatal stabbing on a train last year.
The state court in Itzehoe convicted the 34-year-old, who has been identified only as Ibrahim A. in line with German privacy rules, of murder and attempted murder, German news agency dpa reported.
It found that he fatally stabbed two teenagers and wounded another four passengers seriously in the Jan. 25, 2023 incident in the northern town of Brokstedt, before being overpowered by others on board the regional train traveling from Kiel to Hamburg.
The Palestinian defendant grew up in the Gaza Strip and came to Germany in 2014.
A psychiatric expert testified during the trial that the defendant had psychotic symptoms and post-traumatic stress disorder, but could be held criminally responsible for his actions. The defense lawyer had called for his client to be moved to a psychiatric institution.
Investigators have said the man had a previous criminal record and had been in pretrial custody in another case before being released days ahead of the attack. He had traveled to an appointment with immigration authorities in Kiel and prosecutors have said he appears to have acted out of frustration.
The severity of the case meant that he likely won’t be eligible for release after 15 years as is usually the case in Germany.
The defendant Ibrahim A. is brought into the courtroom at the China Logistic Center in handcuffs and shackles by court officials, in Itzehoe, Germany, Wednesday May 15, 2024. In the trial for a fatal knife attack in northern Germany, the Itzehoe district court sentenced the defendant Ibrahim A. to life imprisonment for murder and attempted murder. (Christian Charisius/Pool via AP)
FILE - Candles and flowers stand and lie in a waiting shelter at Brokstedt station, Germany, Friday, Jan. 27, 2023. Two young people were killed and five injured in a knife attack on a regional train from Kiel to Hamburg in Brokstedt on Jan. 25, 2023. A court on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, convicted a man of murder and sentenced him to life in prison for carrying out a fatal stabbing on a train in northern Germany last year. (Daniel Bockwoldt/dpa via AP, File)
FILE - The defendant Ibrahim A. is brought into the courtroom in handcuffs, in Itzehoe, Germany, Monday April 15, 2024. A court on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, convicted Ibrahim of murder and sentenced him to life in prison for carrying out a fatal stabbing on a train in northern Germany last year. (Marcus Brandt/Pool via AP, File)
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombia’s congress voted Tuesday to ban bullfights in the South American nation, delivering a serious blow to a centuries-old tradition that has inspired famous songs and novels but has become increasingly controversial in the countries where it is still practiced.
The bill calls for the banning of bullfights in a three-year span, making the tradition illegal by the start of 2028. The new law now needs to be signed by President Gustavo Petro, who has been a longtime opponent of these events.
Bullfighting originated in the Iberian Peninsula and is still legal in a handful of countries, including Spain, France, Portugal, Peru, Ecuador and Mexico.
It was once a popular event, broadcast live by multiple television networks. But the tradition has come under increased scrutiny as views change about animal welfare, and many find it unacceptable to see an animal suffer for entertainment's sake.
“This ban is a huge victory for organizations that have worked to transform society and reject violence against animals," said Terry Hurtado, an animal rights activist and city council member in Cali, who has been leading protests against bullfights since the 1990s. “I feel relieved that bulls and horses (which also participate in some bullfights) in Colombia will no longer be tortured, and that children will no longer be exposed to this spectacle.”
In bullfights, a matador faces bulls that are bred to be aggressive. The matador taunts the bull with a red cape and kills the animal with the blow of a sword after it has been injured with lances and daggers, and is tired of charging at the matador in a circular arena.
In Colombia, where bullfights have been held since colonial times, less than two dozen municipalities continue to hold these events, although the annual bullfights in the city of Manizales still draw tens of thousands of spectators.
Bullfighting aficionados described the ban as an assault on the freedoms of minorities as well as a problem for cities where these events draw thousands of visitors.
Demonstrators take part in a vigil holding posters with messages that read in Spanish: "No more culture of violence" during a protest against bullfighting, which has been temporarily suspended as Congress debates its legality, in Bogota, Colombia, Friday, May 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Demonstrators take part in a vigil holding posters with messages that read in Spanish: "No more culture of violence" during a protest against bullfighting, which has been temporarily suspended as Congress debates its legality, in Bogota, Colombia, Friday, May 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Demonstrators take part in a vigil holding posters with messages that read in Spanish: "No more culture of violence" during a protest against bullfighting, which has been temporarily suspended as Congress debates its legality, in Bogota, Colombia, Friday, May 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
A protester places a poster of a bull with a message that reads in Spanish: "No more culture of violence" near a glimmering of candles, during a protest against bullfighting, which has been temporarily suspended as Congress debates its legality, in Bogota, Colombia, Friday, May 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
