Trial of teenagers accused of killing Ukrainian basketball players begins in Germany
Kyiv • UNN
The trial of four teenagers accused of killing two Ukrainian basketball players in Oberhausen has begun in Essen. Prosecutors believe the attack was motivated by xenophobia.
After a six-month pause, the trial in the case of the murder of two Ukrainian teenage basketball players in Oberhausen, western Germany, has resumed. On Monday, August 12, four teenagers aged 14, 15, and 16 appeared before the Essen Regional Court. Two of them are German citizens, the other two are Syrian citizens. This was reported by DW, according to UNN.
Details
The trial, which is taking place in the juvenile court, is attended by the parents of the dead Ukrainians. According to the victims' lawyer, Alisa Scaglione, they expect the most severe punishment for the accused. There are 11 court hearings scheduled to last until November 21.
Context
The attack on the Ukrainian teenagers, who played for the Art Giants Düsseldorf basketball club, took place on February 10 at the main station in Oberhausen. Artem Kozachenko, 18, and Volodymyr Yermakov, 17, were returning by bus and were about to catch a train to Düsseldorf.
A conflict arose between the Ukrainians and a group of teenagers on the bus. Witnesses say that the suspects repeatedly provoked the Ukrainians. They tried to avoid the fight, but after getting off the bus, the defendants surrounded them and attacked them - first with their fists and a baton, and then with knives.
Vladimir Yermakov died of his injuries the same evening during an emergency operation in the hospital. Artem Kozachenko died 10 days later in intensive care from septic multiorgan failure. Both Ukrainians fled the war to Germany in 2023.
Xenophobic motives for the attack
Prosecutors believe that the attack was motivated by xenophobia. According to the prosecution, the suspects made a criminal plan on the bus, deciding to attack Ukrainians on the street only because of their nationality. The prosecutor's office has video footage from the bus's surveillance cameras that confirms this version.
Three of the four defendants had previous criminal records. One of the defendants in the case was previously detained for robbery and bodily harm. The victims' lawyer urges the court to take these facts into account when sentencing.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has taken this case under special control.
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