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District Court Berlin sentenced a man to 10 years in prison former agent services Intelligence of the German Democratic Republic (GDR)commonly known as Stasi, To shoot a Polish citizen who in 1974 tried to cross the border Federal Republic of Germany.

Martin Naumann, 80 years old, was announced guilty of shooting Czeslaw Kukuczka in the back, a citizen of Polish origin who tried to flee to the side West Germany. The victim died during a Stasi operation in the transit area of ​​the station. Berlin-Friedrichstrasse more than 50 years ago.

Judge Bernd Michajka emphasized that Kukuchka’s death was not due to personal reasons, but was part an act “planned and ruthlessly carried out by the Stasi”.“, Bye Naumann was the final link in the “chain of command.” who was entrusted with this task and was rewarded for achieving the goal.

Naumann He remained silent during the trial. which started in March, and its the lawyer always demanded his acquittal claiming that There is insufficient evidence that his client was the author of the photographs. The prosecutor’s office, for its part, requested sentence to 12 years in prison, two more than the one that was finally introduced.

This proposal puts an end to a historic case that has been investigated for decades by German and Polish authorities. Reports show that Kukuchka intended to cross to West Germany. emigrate to the United Statesand was threatened to blow up the Polish embassy in Berlin Oriental if he had not been allowed to cross the wall.

Then The Stasi provided him with documentation and some agents will accompany you to Berlin-Friedrichstrasse stationthe busiest crossing from one end of the German capital to the other. However, After passing the last checkpoint, Kukuchka was shot in the back. The first attempts to investigate what happened were quickly blocked by eastern authorities.

However, in 2016 it turned out that The Stasi awarded Naumann a battle medal for his services. At first it was thought Kukuchka’s death is like murder, with what would have been served, but Polish investigators put pressure on German prosecutors to classify the crime as “treasonous”turning the case into a possible murder, which is not prescribed in Germany.

The trial was recorded by the German authorities due to the relevance and historical importance of the case for which they provided Testimony from a group of West German students who witnessed the shooting upon returning from East Berlin.

(Europe Press)