Timing of neo-Nazi case witness’ death raises suspicions

Murat TOSUN BERLIN / Hürriyet

The mysterious death of a 21-year-old German man has triggered questions after it was revealed that he was one of the witnesses in the ongoing neo-Nazi case and had been due to testify on the day he died.

The German man, identified as Florian H., was reportedly burned to death when a fire devoured his car on Sept. 16 in Stuttgart.

On the same day Florian H. died, he was due to meet with a special team that was investigating the murder of police officer Michelle Kiesewetter by the National Socialist Underground (NSU) movement, according to Hürriyet.

However, Stuttgart Security Department claimed that the man committed suicide due to his personal problems, hinting at a recent break-up with his girlfriend as a reason for the suicide.

Florian H. was reportedly questioned before as a part of the neo-Nazi probe, but the special investigation team called “Umfeld” wanted to interrogate him again.

The NSU had claimed responsibility for the murders of eight Turks, a Greek shopkeeper and a German policewoman, carried out between 2000 and 2007.

The NSU is now considered to have been a terrorist group, and its surviving member Beate Zschaepe is on trial. She is accused of lending vital support to the group’s two gunmen, who died in an apparent murder-suicide in 2011.