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OtherGerman police raid home of 13-year-old Syrian boy suspected of planning attack in Zwickau
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In Zwickau, Germany, a 13-year-old boy from a Syrian family is under suspicion of planning a serious crime after allegedly threatening an attack on social media. The SEK (special police unit) stormed the family's apartment on Nicolaistraße, confiscating cell phones, a PlayStation, and an iPad. The boy's 10-year-old brother was also taken from the home. The father, Mahmoud A., confirmed the social media posts were about religion but said they were made weeks ago and he deleted them. He agreed to his son's admission to a psychiatric facility. The father considers the police operation disproportionate and traumatic, noting the children were brought to the ground and handcuffed. The family has lived in Germany for five years. The nearby wine festival was not evacuated but police vehicles were positioned there.
Source report
New Details Emerge After SEK Raid
Following a police operation involving a 13-year-old boy in Zwickau, new background information has come to light. Authorities also took the boy's younger brother into custody and seized electronic devices. The father has provided insight into what may have triggered the police action.
According to reports from Freie Presse, which spoke with the boy's father, the family is originally from Syria. The father stated that not only the 13-year-old but also his ten-year-old brother was taken from the apartment. The older boy underwent a psychological examination at a hospital.
Trigger: Alleged Social Media Threat
As reported by Bild newspaper, numerous patrol and squad cars were deployed to downtown Zwickau on Wednesday evening. The operation was triggered by an alleged threat the 13-year-old made on social media.
Officers from the State Criminal Police Office and the Saxony Special Operations Command (SEK) stormed the apartment building on Nicolaistraße and raided the home of Mahmoud A., the father. The nearby wine festival on Zwickau's main square was not evacuated during the operation, though several police vehicles were positioned there.
Mahmoud A. confirmed to Bild that there was a connection between his son's social media activity and the police operation. He said: "Yes, he had written something there. It was also about religion. But that was weeks ago, and I deleted all of it."
Father Considers Operation Disproportionate
The police confiscated cell phones, a PlayStation, and an iPad, according to Bild. Mahmoud A. was interrogated until 4 a.m. and agreed to his son being admitted to a psychiatric facility.
The father told Freie Presse that he does not believe his son planned a crime. He described the police operation—during which the children were brought to the ground and handcuffed—as disproportionate and traumatic for the family. Mahmoud A. stated that he has lived in Germany for five years and only later brought his family over.
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13-Year-Old Suspected of Planning Attack in Zwickau; SEK Raids Syrian Family's Home