Afghan man handed life sentence in Germany after fatal stabbing at anti-Islam rally

STUTTGART, Germany (Reuters) -An Afghan man with suspected Islamist motives was sentenced to life in prison by a German court on Tuesday for a knife attack that killed a police officer and injured five others at an anti-Islam rally last year.

The verdict comes at a time of heated debate about immigration and security in Germany, and a strong surge in support for the country's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

The defendant, named only as Sulaiman A to protect his privacy, was found guilty of using a large hunting knife to attack people during a demonstration in the western city of Mannheim that was organised by the anti-Islam group Pax Europa in late May 2024.

Sulaiman A attacked a speaker and several demonstrators at the event before stabbing a police officer who rushed in to help. The officer later succumbed to his injuries.

The attacker was taken into pre-trial custody in June 2024 after leaving intensive care for injuries he sustained during his arrest.

Though prosecutors say he sympathised with the Islamic State group, he was not tried as a terrorist. He faced one count of murder and five counts of attempted murder.

(Reporting by Tilman Blasshofer, Writing by Friederike Heine, Editing by Miranda Murray)