The trial of the suspect German D.S, who is accused in the arson case that led to the deaths of 4 Turkish descendants from Bulgaria in Solingen, Germany, is ongoing. During the trial held at the Wuppertal Regional Court, the 40-year-old suspect in custody appeared before a judge for the 8th time, facing charges of 4 murders and 21 attempted murders. The families and relatives of the deceased attended the hearing. The victims’ lawyer, Fatih Zingal, stated that the families of those who lost their lives in the fire want the background of the crime to be revealed and justice to be served.

166 HITLER AND NAZI PRAISE IMAGES FOUND Zingal mentioned that during the 8th hearing today, a police officer who examined the suspect’s digital documents gave a statement. In one of the 4 hard drives found in the house the suspect shared with his girlfriend, 166 images praising Hitler and the Nazi era, containing antisemitic and far-right views were discovered. Additionally, a message sent by the suspect to his girlfriend was found to contain insults against foreigners. The attempt is being made to determine whether there is a racist background to the arson incident.

POLICE ANALYZING 64,000 PIECES OF DATA Zingal clarified that the investigation is trying to determine whether the suspect or his girlfriend used the hard drive, pointing out that the police had to examine 64,000 pieces of data alone, making it impossible for an officer to thoroughly analyze such a large number of photos and videos on their own. Zingal described how the families heard in detail how their children burned during the trial and how they were psychologically affected. The families only seek justice to be served and for the perpetrator to receive the harshest possible punishment in Germany. WHAT HAPPENED IN SOLINGEN? According to the expert report, the fire that occurred on the night between March 24th and March 25th in 2024 started in the stairwell of the old building. The fire quickly spread to the roof within 5 minutes due to the “chimney effect.” Some remnants were found in the wooden stairwell, leading to the conclusion that the fire was deliberately set as a result of arson. The Wuppertal Prosecutor Heribert Kaune-Gebhardt stated that they do not have any evidence indicating “xenophobic motives” related to the incident. In the fire that broke out in the 4-story building in the Höhscheid district, 4 people of Turkish descent from Bulgaria lost their lives, including 2 children, and 9 others were severely injured.