Global InformationNational Socialist Underground murders information
| National Socialist Underground murders | |
|---|---|
 Suspects of Bosphorus serial murders:[1] Beate Zschäpe, Uwe Böhnhardt and Uwe Mundlos. | |
| Location | Across Germany |
| Date | 9 September 2000 to 25 April 2007 |
| Target | Immigrants |
Attack type | Serial killing, hate crime |
| Weapons | 7.65mm CZ 83 pistol, nail bomb |
| Deaths | 10 |
| Injured | 1 |
| Perpetrators | National Socialist Underground (Nationalsozialistischer Untergrund) |
The National Socialist Underground murders (German: NSU-Mordserie) were a series of racist murders by the German Neo-Nazi terrorist group National Socialist Underground (Nationalsozialistischer Untergrund; abbreviated NSU). The NSU perpetrated the attacks between 2000 and 2007 throughout Germany, leaving ten people dead and one wounded. The primary targets were ethnic Turks, though the victims also included one ethnic Greek and one ethnic German policewoman.
Most of the victims were small business owners, including doner kebab vendors and greengrocers. They were murdered in daylight with gunshots at close range with a silenced CZ 83 pistol. According to the parents of a Turkish victim who worked in an Internet café, the police originally suspected foreign organised criminals. Policewoman Michèle Kiesewetter was also shot and killed and the police officer on patrol with her was critically wounded. Other crimes, including a bomb attack, may have been committed by the group. German authorities identified three suspects, Uwe Böhnhardt, Uwe Mundlos, and Beate Zschäpe as responsible for the murders. According to the acting Attorney General of Germany, Rainer Greisbaum, the suspects had Neo-Nazi links.[2] Böhnhardt and Mundlos were found dead by police after they robbed a bank on 4 November 2011. Police said they killed themselves.[3] Zschäpe surrendered on 11 November 2011. She was charged with murder, attempted murder, arson, and belonging to a terrorist organization. Zschäpe said she was only willing to testify if she was considered a state witness, with mitigation of sentence.[citation needed] The police discovered an alleged hit list of 88 names that included "two prominent members of the Bundestag and representatives of Turkish and Islamic groups".[4]
For years, Bavarian State Police denied that the crimes were racially motivated, blaming them on immigrant communities instead.[5] As the right-wing connection with these crimes began to be investigated, it was discovered that sectors of German intelligence could have had links with the NSU and had prior knowledge of the nature of the killings.[6] Large sums were paid by the intelligence service to informants, who spent the money to fund their far-right activities.[7] Families of the victims have submitted a report to the United Nations, accusing Bavarian police of racism during the investigation.[8]
The serial murders were previously called the Bosphorus serial murders (Mordserie Bosporus) by the German authorities,[9] with the derogatory term Kebab murders (Döner-Morde) being frequently used by the press.[10]
- ^ "Döner-Mörder: Waren sie Einzeltäter oder gibt es ein Netzwerk?". Deutsch Türkische Nachrichten (in German). Retrieved 13 November 2011.
- ^ "Video – Bundesstaatsanwalt: Polizisten- und Döner-Morde wohl Tat von Neonazis". Stern (in German). Archived from the original on 13 November 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
- ^ "Mordserie in Deutschland: Bundesrichter erlässt Haftbefehl gegen Beate Z." Focus (in German). Retrieved 14 November 2011.
- ^ Pidd, Helen; Harding, Luke (16 November 2011). "German neo-Nazi terrorists had 'hitlist' of 88 political targets". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
maclwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Germany shocked by secret service link to rightwing terror cell". The Guardian. 15 November 2011.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
ahvwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Kushnerwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Ungeklärte Fälle – Landespolizei Mecklenburg-Vorpommern" (in German). Archived from the original on 7 December 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
- ^ Kulish, Nicholas (14 November 2011). "Neo-Nazis Suspected in Wave of Crimes in Germany". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 November 2011.