CAIRO: The German man who stabbed Egyptian woman Marwa El Sherbini 16 times in a Dresden courtroom in early July is to face a life sentence if convicted on murder charges, the German prosecutor said on Tuesday. It comes nearly two months since the murder sparked global condemnation at what many argued was proof of growing Islamophobia in Europe. Initially, the killer named only as Alex, defense team tried to argue that he could not stand trial due to psychological problems. A psychiatrist has found no evidence the man is unfit to stand trial, prosecutors said. The 28-year-old man is accused of murdering 32-year-old Marwa al-Sherbini and is being charged with the attempted murder of her husband Elwi Ali Okaz on July 1, the prosecutor’s office announced on Friday. Sherbini had been in court to testify against the Russian-born German citizen who had been appealing a fine for calling her a “terrorist.†Sherbini wore the Islamic headscarf and during an argument at a children’s playground in Dresden, the man had insulted her, which is punishable under German law. The defendant, described by the public prosecutor’s office as a “fanatical xenophobe,†reportedly refused to respond to the murder charges before the custodial judge last month. His trial is scheduled to begin this autumn at the latest. Initially, the prosecution was reported to want to charge the German man with manslaughter, sparking protests inside Germany and across the globe, but official charges have proved these initial reports false. Sherbini’s husband sustained several stab wounds while trying to protect his wife and was then shot in the leg by police officers who thought he was the attacker, which left many observers angered over the police’s inaction and then action to attack the woman’s husband. An investigation into police conduct is currently being undertaken to delve into the issue of why it took so long for a reaction to occur inside the court. Demonstrations in Egypt followed the killing and Egyptians expressed their anger toward what they called “racism in Europe.†There were threats to boycott German products, but this fizzled out without action being taken. Sherbini is survived by her husband and three-year-old son who witnessed the killing. She was also pregnant when she was killed. BM
