Behind the walls: Ex-RAF terrorist Daniela Klette in court!

Behind the walls: Ex-RAF terrorist Daniela Klette in court!

The trial began today in Verden-Eitze, Lower Saxony, against the alleged member of the Red Army Faction (RAF), Daniela Klette, who has been in custody in Berlin-Kreuzberg since her arrest in February 2024. Klette was caught by the authorities after 31 years on the run. The high-security court where the trial will take place cost 3.6 million euros to build and was set up for security reasons to allow the trial of the ex-terrorist, who is held responsible for her involvement in a series of robberies. According to WOZ, the charges include robberies of supermarkets and cash-in-transit vehicles between 1999 and 2016 with a total loss of around 2.7 million euros.

Lower Saxony's Interior Minister Daniela Behrens emphasized the importance that the German state does not forget such crimes. This statement underlines the political dimension of the trial, which is nevertheless not being conducted as a terrorism trial. The most serious charge, attempted murder, was dropped last year, which further exonerated the defendants. The court long ago dropped the now outdated accusation from September 24, 2025.

Arrest and living conditions

Klette was arrested with a variety of illegal items, including pistols, an assault rifle, live ammunition and fake identification documents. Cash worth around 240,000 euros and six gold bars were also seized. When she was arrested, she warned accomplices via text messages, suggesting she maintained networks even while she was on the run. In the 2000s she lived unrecognized in Berlin under the name “Claudia” and maintained contacts with fugitive accomplices such as Burkhard Garweg, who remains on the run. During her escape, Klette traveled between Brazil and South Africa under a false identity, claiming to be working in nursing.

Klette is currently in solitary confinement and has no access to any media. The process is followed by only a few press representatives, with only 6 of the 55 available places being filled. The courtroom, which was once a riding arena, is located in the Celle Higher Regional Court, as the original hearing in Celle had to be moved due to lack of space. Federal prosecutors have summoned several older witnesses, including Rolf Brunner and Ariane Müller, who have expressed concerns about the legality of the subpoenas.

Investigations and allegations

The investigations into the RAF and Klette are being conducted by the Federal Prosecutor's Office in KarlsruheW. This was a radical left-wing terrorist group that was actively involved in numerous crimes from the 1970s to the 1990s and is believed to be responsible for more than 30 murders. Klette and her accomplices consider themselves to be part of the “third generation” of the RAF, and the alleged crimes they committed fit into a long history of violence and crime that has shaken Germany.

The scale and seriousness of the allegations made against Klette, as well as the circumstances of her arrest and the upcoming legal proceedings, provide a deep insight into the RAF's legacy and its impact on society. The trial will inevitably raise social and political questions, and the public will closely monitor how the situation surrounding this controversial figure develops.