Top court confirms life sentence for killer of German politician

Karlsruhe (dpa) - The German Federal Court of Justice has confirmed a life sentence for the killer of regional politician Walter Lübcke in 2019 in a shooting that shocked the country, reported dpa.

The perpetrator, Stephan Ernst, was sentenced to life imprisonment by Frankfurt's Higher Regional Court in January 2021.

Lübcke, a member of former chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) who led the local government in the central district of Kassel, is said to have been targeted due to his support for Merkel's open-border policy during the 2014/2015 refugee crisis.

Prosecutors said Ernst, who is now 48, was motivated by right-wing extremism and xenophobia.

The Federal Court of Justice has now examined the verdict and confirmed the sentence.

An early release from prison for Ernst after 15 years is legally possible, but in practice it is almost impossible.

The Higher Regional Court had acquitted a co-accused for aiding and abetting, a decision that the higher court also confirmed.

Ernst shot Luebcke, 65, in the head on the politician's own porch. He had admitted to the killing, but changed his version of events three times.