The man responsible for attacking a synagogue and killing two people in Germany has been sentenced to life imprisonment on Tuesday. Stephan Balliet - described to be a white supremacist - stormed a synagogue in Halle in eastern Germany on Oct. 9, 2019, during one of the holiest days on the Jewish calendar.
Presiding Judge Ursula Mertens described Balliet's actions as "despicable, cowardly, and inhuman." Balliet was convicted of murder and attempted murder. Balliet will not be eligible for parole.
Balliet intended to kill the 51 people inside the synagogue but was stopped when he failed to breach the building's heavy wooden door.
During his sentencing, the 28-year-old German nationalist stood motionless. Balliet fully confessed to the attack, which he filmed with a camera and streamed live online.
In the video, which was presented as evidence during the trial, Balliet was seen killing a 40-year-old woman who had approached him while he attempted to storm the synagogue. After he failed to breach the wooden door, Balliet went to a nearby kebab shop and killed a 20-year-old German man who he thought was a Muslim.
An expert witness told the court that the video has been downloaded and shared by "like-minded individuals" online. The witness said that spreading the video was Balliet's ultimate goal and he also hoped that the trial would "expound" his hatred for Jews, Muslims, and other people that he considers a threat to "white, German society."
During the five-month trial, Judge Martens repeatedly interrupted the defendant when he made disparaging remarks such as when he denied the holocaust. She also made it clear that Balliet's victims were productive members of society.
"You showed no indication of remorse. On the contrary, you repeatedly made it clear that you wanted to continue your fight. Consequently, we have decided that society must be protected from you," the judge said.
During the trial, 45 people that were inside the synagogue had come forward and joined the case as co-plaintiffs. The survivors used the trial to question the defendant and witnesses in an attempt to derail the proceeding from becoming a far-right spectacle.
