Halle synagogue shooter denies Holocaust in courtroom

A man accused of killing two people in an anti-Semitic attack in Germany last year is cut off during final testimony at his trial after he denies the Holocaust.

Stephan Balliet, 28, is accused of trying to storm a synagogue filled with worshippers in Halle on October 9, 2019 during Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

After failing to break down the door, he is said to have shot dead a female passer-by and a man at a kebab shop instead.

Balliet tells the court in nearby Magdeburg that the proceedings against him were a “show trial” and denies the Holocaust, drawing shouts of protest from the co-plaintiffs on the benches.

Stephan Balliet, who is accused of shooting dead two people after an attempt to storm a synagogue in Halle, is seen during his trial on November 18, 2020, at the district court in Magdeburg, Germany. (Ronny Hartmann/AFP)

Judge Ursula Mertens interrupts the speech and reminded him that denying the Holocaust is a criminal offense in Germany.

Balliet had previously denied the Holocaust during his trial, spouted racist and misogynist conspiracy theories and insisted that “attacking the synagogue was not a mistake, they are my enemies.”

— AFP