A 19-year-old German citizen with ties to far-right circles was arrested after expressing intent to carry out a terrorist attack at a synagogue in the city of Halle. Although he had acquired a weapon, it remains unclear when he planned to carry out the assault.
The suspect, who had been living in Switzerland, reportedly discussed his plans on the Telegram messaging platform. According to a statement from German prosecutors, he obtained the weapon in February 2025, though authorities have not determined the exact timing he intended for the attack.
Previously, the teenager lived near Halle, and he was apprehended by Swiss security forces and transferred to German police custody eight days ago.
The Halle synagogue has previously been the target of a terrorist attack. Six years ago, on Yom Kippur, two German passersby were murdered after German terrorist Stephan Balliet failed in his attempt to breach the synagogue's security and massacre the worshippers inside. That attack, too, was driven by far-right extremist ideology.
