A 45-year-old Afghan man accused of murdering a female relative in Germany may not be swiftly returned from the Czech Republic unless he consents to extradition, according to the Chemnitz public prosecutor’s office.
Chief Public Prosecutor Ingrid Burghart said the suspect, who was arrested on a Czech highway after allegedly fleeing the scene of a deadly attack in Chemnitz, remains in Czech custody while German authorities seek his return.
“The prisoner must consent,” Burghart said, as cited by Tag24, explaining that if he refuses, a court will have to decide whether he can be extradited. Only after that process can German investigators question him.
The case has intensified local anger after the suspect allegedly killed a 38-year-old Afghan woman and seriously injured another female relative, aged 20, in an apartment in the Heckert district early on Sunday morning.
Police were called to a prefabricated apartment block on Wilhelm-Firl-Straße at around 4:30 a.m. after reports of a violent attack inside the building. Investigators say the 45-year-old attacked the 38-year-old close relative in the apartment, leaving her with life-threatening injuries. Paramedics were unable to save her and pronounced her dead at the scene.
The suspect is also accused of seriously injuring the 20-year-old relative before fleeing the apartment and driving away by car. She was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital.
Around 90 minutes after the attack, Czech police located the Afghan man on a highway between Prague and Brno. He was stopped and arrested, but his return to Germany could now depend on whether he agrees to be handed over voluntarily or forces the matter before a Czech court.
Authorities have not confirmed the murder weapon. A knife was found near the apartment building on the day of the attack, but investigators have not said whether it was used in the killing.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances of the attack, including the woman’s cause of death, the suspect’s relationship to the victims, and the motive.
Once returned to Germany, the suspect is expected to be brought before an investigating judge at the Chemnitz District Court.
A memorial service for the murdered woman is due to take place on Wednesday afternoon at 4 p.m.
