German court orders release of man convicted in neo-Nazi trial

Ralf Wohlleben, who supplied far-right group with gun used to kill nine immigrants, has been in custody for 6 years, 8 months

By AP 18 July 2018, 4:57 pm

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Defendant Ralf Wohlleben, center with white bag, arrives for his trial in the court room in Munich, Germany, June 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, Pool)

BERLIN — A German court has ordered the release of a man convicted last week as an accessory to the murder of nine victims of a neo-Nazi group that targeted immigrants.

Ralf Wohlleben, who had been in custody for almost seven years, was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment at the end of a trial that lasted more than five years.

Prosecutors alleged he was instrumental in supplying the National Socialist Underground group with a handgun and silencer and knew they planned to use it for the killings

The Munich state court said Wednesday that it has lifted an arrest warrant against Wohlleben, whose sentence has yet to be confirmed but he has already been in custody for six years and eight months so is unlikely to serve much longer. It said prosecutors approved the move.

Wohlleben was one of five people convicted in the trial.