Three migrants who allegedly planned an attack on Cologne Cathedral are free again. A judge lets them go after just one night in custody.
Three of four men who were taken into custody for a plot to attack Cologne Cathedral on New Year’s Eve were released by a judge on New Year’s Day. The 25, 30 and 38-year-old Muslims only spent a single night in police custody.
This was announced by the Cologne police without providing a statement from the court. A total of five men are suspected of having plotted an attack on Germany’s largest Christian church. Four of them have Tajik or Uzbek citizenship. A Turkish-German was also arrested in Bochum on the last day of last year, while a 25-year-old Tajik, who was among those arrested on New Year’s Eve, will remain in police custody for a period of 14 days “after detailed consideration of the case”. A 30-year-old compatriot, who was arrested on Christmas Eve in Wesel, 100 kilometres north of Cologne, is also to remain there for a fortnight “to avert danger”. Shortly before Christmas, the police had received tips from a foreign secret service about a planned Islamist terror attack on Cologne Cathedral. As a result, security measures at the place of worship were massively increased. A large contingent of police protected the cathedral on New Year’s Eve.
Kölner Dom: Richter läßt Terrorverdächtige frei (jungefreiheit.de)