A Syrian man is convicted of stabbing a Spanish tourist at Berlin’s Holocaust Memorial

A court convicted a Syrian man yesterday of stabbing and seriously wounding a Spanish tourist at Berlin’s Holocaust Memorial just over a year ago, and sentenced him to 13 years on prison.

The 20-year-old defendant, whom authorities have identified only as Wassim Al M. in line with German privacy laws, was convicted on charges including attempted murder and attempted membership in a foreign terrorist organization, German news agency dpa reported.

The Berlin district court found that he traveled from Leipzig to Berlin on Feb. 21, 2025 to carry out an attack in the name of the Islamic State group.

He chose the Holocaust Memorial because “he believed he would find people of Jewish faith there,” presiding judge Doris Husch said, and he stabbed the Spanish tourist in the throat before shouting “Allahu akbar,” or “God is great.”

The 31-year-old victim survived but is still unable to work and receiving psychological treatment.

The defendant said during his trial that he had regretted the attack immediately, and asserted that he had traveled to Berlin under pressure from an online acquaintance he had gotten to know as he watched IS videos.