Arrests in Höxter and Bottrop: Two men suspected of terrorism over IS fighting in Iraq

The Federal Prosecutor General's Office was brought in because it concerns a suspected case of supporting a foreign terrorist organisation. Such proceedings are conducted at the federal level in Germany because the acts have a connection to international terrorism.

According to the security authorities, evidence was also secured during the arrests. This includes storage media and documents that are now being evaluated. The investigators hope to obtain indications of possible networks and contacts of the suspects.

Secured evidence and indications of networks

According to security circles, one of the two men had already attracted attention through appearances on social media. He is said to have addressed contact with other IS fighters in videos. These indications have been incorporated into the ongoing investigations.

The arrests are part of a series of proceedings against suspected IS returnees and supporters in Germany. In recent years, individuals have been arrested repeatedly on charges of membership in or support for IS. The security authorities continue to assess the threat posed by IS and its offshoots as high.

Both suspects will be brought before a remand judge on Thursday. The public prosecutor's office will apply to take them into pretrial detention. The competent court will decide whether there is an urgent suspicion of an offence and grounds for detention.

Proceedings and the question of detention

The security authorities emphasised that, according to the current state of investigations, the arrested men posed no acute danger to the population. Nevertheless, the case demonstrates that prosecution for earlier IS activities continues to be pursued even years after the acts.

Further background on the suspects – including their exact age, origin and the date of their entry into Germany – was initially not made public by the authorities. The investigators also remained silent about possible contact persons in Germany.

Reactions and assessment

Reporting on the case was taken up by, among others, the Deutschlandfunk programme, which reported on the arrests as early as Wednesday. The investigations are continuing.