For the ZDF format “Die Spur”, we went to north-east Syria to investigate the suspected Solingen attacker. Since the terror attack, the debate about the fundamental right to asylum in Germany has been on fire. Politicians have quickly presented alleged solutions - such as knife bans and deportations. However, a precise and objective analysis of such cases is important in order to prevent attacks in the future. Generalization, on the other hand, is pointless.
The alleged Solingen perpetrator grew up in a former IS stronghold and our research indicates that he was probably already in contact with the terrorist organization in Syria. One thing is clear: Anyone who wants to prevent ISIS attacks needs to focus on where the organization still has the most followers. Thousands of fighters and tens of thousands of IS supporters remain in camps that belong to the autonomous-administration of north-eastern Syria. A powder keg.
In the documentary, Laura Kipfelsberger plows the web for information on the suspected attacker. For example, we spent time in IS online forums and chat groups. There are brutal, hate videos spread there.
Psychologist and IS expert Jan Ilhan Kizilhan gave us a better understanding of the jihadists’ ideology and helped us to categorize all the information we had gathered. What does the ideology do to young people? And where could we start to counteract it?
During the research in Solingen, I found it particularly tragic that Yazidis and Kurds who have fled the horrors of the terrorist organization and the war in Syria themselves live in the shelter where the suspected perpetrator was living himself. The attack was a particular shock for them. But society in Solingen meets them with rejection.
Our thanks go to everyone at sendefaehig and in the “Die Spur” editorial team who made the project possible. Khabat Abbas and Aref Krez, who researched with us. +963media, who put us in touch with one of their sources. Sulaiman Tadmory, who filmed Syria, Sitara Ambrosio, who filmed Solingen and Laura Will, who filmed the hub. Also Michael Stragies and Laura Will, who edited with us. Anika Knudsen, who provided us with editorial support from sendefähig. Martin Benedix and Christoph Dohne, who realized the production. Lucas Eiler and Nicolai Piechota, who always asked critical questions from the “Die Spur” editorial team and worked with us on the topic.
Our film is now online in the ZDF Mediathek, broadcasted on 26.2.25 at 22:45 on ZDF and on 5.3.25 at 18:00 on phoenix. We have also summarized our findings in written form on ZDFheute.
A day after the publication of our documentary, the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office announced that charges are now being brought against the alleged perpetrator. He had direct contact with IS on his second cell phone and forwarded his confession video. At the time of research and publication, this was still unclear.