"Day X": Court dismisses charges of throwing incendiary devices

More than a year after the riots on the radical left-wing "Day X" in Leipzig, the regional court has dismissed numerous charges brought by the public prosecutor against a 25-year-old. A court spokesperson explained the decision, stating that, in the opinion of the chamber, it was not possible to sufficiently identify a suspected perpetrator from the images presented. The person had been wearing a mask and had moved quickly.

The public prosecutor's office had filed charges against the 25-year-old at the end of May, including two counts of attempted murder and 18 counts of grievous bodily harm. Only the charge of breach of the peace could be heard, explained the regional court spokesperson. However, the district court has jurisdiction here. The "Leipziger Volkszeitung" had previously reported.

Public prosecutor's office lodges appeal

"An immediate appeal has been lodged against the regional court's decision," said the spokesperson for the public prosecutor's office, Vanessa Fink, on request. The Dresden Higher Regional Court (OLG) must now decide on this. It is not yet clear when the OLG will make a decision.

The public prosecutor's office was convinced that the suspect had thrown two incendiary devices as well as stones and pyrotechnics at police officers on June 3 last year. According to the investigators, he was at least willing to accept that the officers could suffer fatal injuries. In the end, no one was injured by the Molotov cocktails.

Rioting after the verdict against Lina E.

A total of 18 police officers were injured during the riots, according to the public prosecutor's office. They had been pelted with stones and firecrackers from a crowd of people. Here too, the 25-year-old was considered a suspect by the public prosecutor's office. He had handed himself in to the investigating authorities at the beginning of January and had been in custody since then. He was released from custody at the end of June because the judges at Leipzig District Court were unable to identify any urgent suspicion.

The "Day X" was a reaction to the conviction of left-wing extremist student Lina E. for attacks on neo-Nazis. There had been several riots in Leipzig around June 3, 2023.