BERLIN, Sept 16 (Reuters) – The German government proposed new measures to prevent militant violence, including tougher penalties for knife attacks and propaganda, after a man who pledged allegiance to Islamic State attacked a Pride celebration in Berlin this summer.
Here are more details from Wednesday’s proposals by Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig:
• The use of electronic-ankle monitors will be expanded, restricting the movement of high-risk suspects.
• Knife attacks will be classified as felonies with a minimum prison sentence of one year.
• Germany’s 16 state governments will be granted additional authority to store communications data as part of preventive security measures.
• Hubig also said that authorities aim to clarify when suspended sentences are appropriate. “If the consequences of a potential offense – or even a previous offense – could be tremendous for the public, then this must be explicitly taken into account,” she said.
• In July, a 21-year-old man attacked Berlin’s Pride celebration, killing one woman and injuring dozens, according to investigators.
• The German citizen, who in May was convicted and sentenced to jail time for preparing an attack, had been freed under supervision.
(Reporting by Cian Muenster, editing by Thomas Seythal)
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