A Berlin court has sentenced an 80-year-old former Stasi officer to 10 years in prison for the murder of a Polish national in 1974 at the Friedrichstrasse border crossing in what was then East Berlin.
The prosecution had sought a 12-year sentence. The verdict can be appealed.
The court found that a former lieutenant in the Stasi, the East German secret police, who has been named only as “Manfred N.”, shot the 38-year-old Pole on March 29, 1974, following orders from his superiors.
Judge Bernd Miczajka said that although the murder was not motivated by personal reasons, it was "ruthlessly" executed.
The incident occurred after a Polish national, Czesław Kukuczka, threatened to bomb the Polish embassy in East Berlin, demanding passage to West Berlin.
He was led to believe that his demands would be met and was escorted to the Friedrichstrasse station, known as the Palace of Tears, where he underwent a staged border check.
As he was heading toward the subway to West Berlin, he was fatally shot in the back from a distance of two to three meters. It later emerged that the suitcase he carried contained no explosives.
The defense had argued for an acquittal, with lawyer Andrea Liebscher contending that it was unproven whether her client was responsible for the fatal shot. Manfred N. did not testify in court, denying the allegations through his attorney.
The investigation languished for decades, with progress only made in 2016 when Stasi archives revealed a crucial lead.
Initially considered a manslaughter case, the Berlin prosecutor’s office reclassified the crime as “deceitful murder” in 2023, leading to the trial and conviction.
Kukuczka’s killing is a stark reminder of the brutal methods employed by the Stasi during the Cold War.
The court found that a former lieutenant in the Stasi, the East German secret police, who has been named only as “Manfred N.”, shot the 38-year-old Pole on March 29, 1974, following orders from his superiors.
Judge Bernd Miczajka said that although the murder was not motivated by personal reasons, it was "ruthlessly" executed.
The incident occurred after a Polish national, Czesław Kukuczka, threatened to bomb the Polish embassy in East Berlin, demanding passage to West Berlin.
He was led to believe that his demands would be met and was escorted to the Friedrichstrasse station, known as the Palace of Tears, where he underwent a staged border check.
As he was heading toward the subway to West Berlin, he was fatally shot in the back from a distance of two to three meters. It later emerged that the suitcase he carried contained no explosives.
Judge Miczajka said that the defendant was later rewarded for his actions.10 years in prison for the 1974 murder of a Polish man who wanted to flee to the West.
— Institute of National Remembrance (@ipngovpl_eng) October 14, 2024
The verdict in the case of the murder of Czesław Kukuczka was handed down by the Berlin Land Court (Landgericht) today.
The former East German State Security Ministry (STASI) officer Manfred… pic.twitter.com/i3bFGh8olE
The defense had argued for an acquittal, with lawyer Andrea Liebscher contending that it was unproven whether her client was responsible for the fatal shot. Manfred N. did not testify in court, denying the allegations through his attorney.
The investigation languished for decades, with progress only made in 2016 when Stasi archives revealed a crucial lead.
Initially considered a manslaughter case, the Berlin prosecutor’s office reclassified the crime as “deceitful murder” in 2023, leading to the trial and conviction.
Kukuczka’s killing is a stark reminder of the brutal methods employed by the Stasi during the Cold War.
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