Court Convicts Ex-RAF Member After Decades on the Run
A German court has sentenced former militant Daniela Klette to 13 years in prison for carrying out a series of armed robberies between 1999 and 2016.
The verdict came on Wednesday at a court in Verden, Lower Saxony, after judges found the 67-year-old guilty of aggravated robbery, weapons offences, and other crimes.
Klette had spent more than 30 years on the run before authorities arrested her in Berlin in 2024.
RAF Group Carried Out Decades of Violence
Klette belonged to the militant group Red Army Faction, also known as the Baader-Meinhof gang.
The group carried out bombings, kidnappings, and assassinations across Germany from the early 1970s until the early 1990s.
Although prosecutors linked Klette to the organisation, the recent trial focused mainly on armed robberies committed after the group disbanded.
According to reports, she carried out the robberies alongside former RAF members Burkhard Garweg and Ernst-Volker Staub, who remain fugitives.
Robberies Targeted Cash Vans and Supermarkets
Investigators said the group targeted supermarkets and armoured cash vehicles across northern and western Germany.
One of the earliest attacks happened in Duisburg in July 1999.
Masked attackers reportedly rammed a cash transport vehicle and threatened guards with guns and a grenade launcher before escaping with large amounts of money.
The final robbery took place near Braunschweig in June 2016.
Authorities said the suspects stole almost €1.4 million during the raid.
Police Arrested Klette in Berlin
Police arrested Klette in February 2024 after receiving a tip-off.
She had reportedly lived quietly in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district under a false identity for several years.
Authorities later transferred her to Lower Saxony for trial.
Despite years in hiding, prosecutors said Klette made little effort to completely conceal her identity.
A neighbour identified as Hamza described her as friendly and said he often saw her walking her dog.
He told the BBC that he felt shocked after discovering her background.
AI Facial Recognition Helped Track Suspect
Investigators eventually traced Klette through artificial intelligence facial recognition technology.
An investigative journalist reportedly matched an old wanted poster with newer online images.
During a police search, officers recovered weapons, ammunition, wigs, false identity documents, gold, and €240,000 in cash.
They also found a replica rocket-propelled grenade.
Supporters Protest Court Verdict
Several supporters gathered at the courthouse during the verdict.
Witnesses said dozens of them booed the ruling and shouted “freedom for Daniela.”
Counter Extremism Project official Hans-Jakob Schindler described Klette as “a kind of grandmother heroine for the extreme left in Berlin.”
He also told the BBC that Klette would likely never face trial for alleged crimes committed during her RAF years because of legal time limits.
