World

Protests Erupt in Germany's Köthen After 2 Afghans Detained Over Man's Death

Two Afghan men have been arrested on suspicion of murdering a German man in a fight in the eastern town of Köthen, German police announced. The circumstances of the man’s death remain unclear.
Sputnik

Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Köthen in eastern Germany on Sunday, moving in silence towards the playground, where a 22-year-old German man died following a clash with two Afghans.

READ MORE: New Rally to Be Held in Chemnitz as German Citizen Dies in Clash With Afghans

Even though the mayor of the town, Bernd Hauschild urged locals to steer clear of the demonstration, police said that hundreds held a “memorial march,” and the participants, who later dispersed peacefully, were holding German flags and chanting slogans such as “We are the people.”

Earlier on Sunday, two Afghan nationals were “provisionally detained on homicide” following the death of the young German man on September 8, Deutsche Welle reported. Police further said that the probe was still underway, and that they were investigating the incident “from all angles.”

The two suspects are reportedly 18 and 20 years old, and are being investigated on suspicion of aggravated assault and causing bodily harm resulting in death, DW cited prosecutors as saying.

According to Die Welt, the victim might have had a dispute with the two suspects, which resulted in his death. The cause of death, however, remains unclear, with Die Welt saying that it may have been a brain hemorrhage, while police said he died of heart failure that was “not directly caused by the injuries suffered.”

READ MORE: Reports of 'Extremists' in Chemnitz Likely to be Misinformation — German Intel

Another German newspaper, Mitteldeutsche Zeitung, reported that the now-deceased had previously experienced cardiac problems.

People attending a right wing protest place candles at a playground in Koethen, Germany, September 9, 2018, after a 22-year-old German man died overnight in the eastern town of Koethen and two Afghans have been detained on suspicion of killing him.

The circumstances behind his death also remain unclear, with the German newspaper Bild reporting that the suspects engaged in a dispute with another Afghan national a German woman at the playground. After two other Germans approached them, the fatal fight erupted.

The Köthen incident came two weeks after the fatal stabbing of a German man in the eastern city of Chemnitz. Shortly after that, an Iraqi and a Syrian national were arrested on suspicion of murdering Daniel Hillig. The case has triggered multiple rallies in Chemnitz, during which a number of right-wing activists called for the deportation of all illegal migrants.

READ MORE: German Intel Chief Under Fire Over Denying Migrant Harassment in Chemnitz

According to the police data, at least 4,500 people gathered at the Chemnitz rallies to protest against the German government’s open-door migration policy. The rallies have reportedly left 18 people injured, while hundreds have been detained.

Discuss