A German court sentenced a 26-year-old Afghan national to life imprisonment on September 16 for a knife attack in Mannheim that killed a police officer and injured five others, Reuters and AFP reported.

The defendant, only identified as “Sulaiman A.”, was found guilty of murder, five counts of attempted murder and grievous bodily harm. The court deemed his crimes "especially grave", effectively ruling out early release possibilities.

The attack happened in May 2024 during a public rally organised by Pax Europa, a group opposed to radical Islam.

Armed with a large hunting knife, "Sulaiman A." first targeted a speaker and several attendees before fatally stabbing a police officer who intervened. The officer died from his injuries two days later.

Widely circulated footage showed the officer being repeatedly stabbed in the back of the head, sparking outrage across Germany.

During the trial, “Sulaiman A.” admitted to the attack and expressed remorse to the victim's family. He claimed radicalisation through online messaging platforms, citing the Gaza war as a turning point in his ideological shift.

German media reported he arrived in the country in 2013, aged 14, with only his brother. However, their asylum applications were rejected, both received residency as unaccompanied minors and were placed in care facilities.

The case has reignited debate over Germany's immigration policies following several violent incidents involving asylum seekers and migrants in recent years.

Prior to the ruling and following the attack, the German government has quietly begun turning down Afghan applications, however, they make no direct connection between the Manheim incident and their asylum process. 

The government has reportedly removed humanitarian admission procedures from Afghan refugees in Pakistan who successfully sued for visas in German courts, according to a piece in the German-language Taz.

Many of the individuals have sued the German government in Berlin courts for visas, with the government losing numerous cases and some families subsequently entering Germany. However, the Interior Ministry is now withdrawing admission promises from those who won their court cases.

The change in German government rules on Afghans is part of a concerted effort by some Western European countries to return failed asylum seekers to the South-Central Asian country.

In July, 81 Afghan men with criminal records were deported on a chartered flight, marking Germany’s second such removal since the Taliban regained power and the start of a new, stricter migration policy.

The government is now close to signing an agreement with Taliban authorities to enable “regular” deportations, not just one-off flights, and is planning to use scheduled commercial planes as well as charters