Syrian refugee arrested after Berlin stabbing as Germany prepares to vote

A 19-year-old Syrian refugee was arrested after allegedly stabbing a Spanish tourist at Berlin’s Holocaust Memorial on Friday, in what prosecutors say was a planned attack on Jews, apparently linked to tensions in the Middle East.

The attack comes a day before Germany’s national election, where migration concerns are fueling support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

According to prosecutors, the suspect had been planning the attack for weeks and deliberately chose the Holocaust Memorial—a site dedicated to the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis—as his target.

Police apprehended the suspect shortly after the stabbing, finding blood on his hands and clothing. Authorities said he was carrying a prayer rug, a Holy Quran, a note with religious verses, and the suspected weapon in his backpack, suggesting a religious motivation.

The 30-year-old Spanish tourist sustained serious neck injuries and underwent emergency surgery. He was placed in an induced coma but is no longer in life-threatening condition, prosecutors said.

The suspect, who arrived in Germany as an unaccompanied minor, has no prior criminal record and was previously unknown to police or judicial authorities. He is set to appear before a judge on Saturday for an arrest warrant hearing.

The attack follows a series of violent incidents involving migrants, shifting the election focus from Germany’s struggling economy to immigration policies. Recent attacks, including a fatal stabbing by an Afghan immigrant and a Saudi national ramming a car into a Christmas market, have fueled demands for stricter migration controls.

Polling suggests the AfD is poised to finish second in the election, as mainstream parties struggle to contain its rising support.

Prosecutors have found no evidence linking Friday’s suspect to any terrorist organizations, and investigations are ongoing.