Germany: Murder charges brought against last member of neo-Nazi group

One year after the discovery in Germany of the neo-Nazi group National Socialist Underground (NSU), which investigators say is responsible for the murders of nine immigrants and one policewoman, federal prosecutors have filed charges against its only living member, Beate Zschäpe. The High Court in Munich, where Zschäpe will be tried, made the announcement yesterday. Prosecutors have charged her with participating in 10 murders and creating a terrorist association. Press reports say she faces life in prison if convicted.

Deutsche Presse-Agentur reports that Supreme State Prosecutor Harald Range said at a press conference in Karlsruhe this afternoon that Zschäpe was not the only member of the terrorist association, but was responsible for the murders as an accomplice to them. Range said she primarily arranged financing and logistical aspects so the crimes could be committed by the other two NSU members. Range’s office has also charged Zschäpe with arson and attempted murder. Another four alleged assistants of the neo-Nazi trio were charged along with her.

The NSU trio managed to evade police for more than a decade. In addition to the 10 murders, responsibility has been attributed to them for two bomb attacks on Turkish neighborhoods on Cologne and 15 bank robberies. Last year’s breakup of the group prompted enormous debate in Germany on the danger of neo-Nazism, as well as criticism of the secret services, whose informers allegedly even participated in several NSU actions.

In addition to Zschäpe, the group was created by Uwe Böhnhardt and Uwe Mundlos, who committed suicide in order to evade arrest on 4 November 2011. Their colleague turned herself in four days after unsuccessfully attempting to set on fire the apartment in the East German town of Zwickau where the trio had been hiding out. A search of the apartment turned up the pistol used in the murders and a video recording in which the neo-Nazi cell claimed responsibility for the bomb attacks and murders committed between 2000 and 2007.

Zschäpe (37) has been nicknamed "Nazi girl" by the German media because of her intimate relationship with both of the male members of the NSU. She has been in custody during the investigation, but the press reports that she has refused to cooperate with police.

German detectives have arrested another four alleged accomplices who have now been charged as well. One of them, Ralf Wohlleben, is a former functionary with the ultra-right National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD). Detectives are investigating a total of 12 people linked to the NSU.