Germany: RAF leftist militant is found guilty

Daniela Klette, linked to the far-left Red Army Faction, was convicted for her role in armed robberies targeting supermarkets and cash transporters. She faces 13 years in prison. A prior attempted-murder charge tied to a 2015 robbery was dismissed because shots were fired at a transporter without injuries. Klette, 67, lived in Berlin under a false identity for more than 30 years and was arrested in February 2024. Federal prosecutors may bring additional attempted-murder charges connected to attacks from the early 1990s. Terrorism charges have expired under the statute of limitations. Two alleged accomplices remain in hiding, and it is unclear how Klette avoided authorities for decades, though extremist networks are described as difficult to infiltrate.

"Daniela Klette, allegedly one of the last remaining members of the far-left terrorist group Red Army Faction (RAF), has been standing trial for her part in a series of armed robberies of supermarkets and cash transporters. She has been found guilty and now faces 13 years in prison. The court previously dismissed an additional charge of attempted murder, connected with one of the robberies in 2015, when shots were fired at a transporter, though no one was injured."

"But the 67-year-old, who had been living in Berlin under a false identity for more than 30 years, could face yet another trial as federal prosecutors brought additional charges of attempted murder related to attacks dating back to the early 1990s, when the so-called "third generation" of the RAF was at its most active. Any terrorism charges, under which Klette would almost certainly have been charged had she been caught earlier, have passed their statute of limitations."

"Two alleged accomplices, Burkhard Garweg and Ernst-Volker Staub one of whom Klette apparently warned during her arrest are still in hiding. Daniela Klette waved at her supporters as she entered the courtroomImage: Focke Strangmann/dpa/picture alliance Caught by AI Klette was arrested in February 2024, in central Berlin, where police said she had been living as "Claudia Ivone" for some 20 years."

"It remains unclear how she was able to evade authorities for decades, but Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director at the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) think tank, said that extremist left-wing networks remain notoriously difficult for German police to infiltrate or to gather information on. Schindler is convinced that several people in Berlin knew her identity, but kept the information to themselves. "There were active investigations against her all the time," Schindler told DW."

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