Stromversorgung: Bundesanwaltschaft übernimmt Ermittlungen zu Strom-Sabotage

On multiple occasions of vandalism to Germany's power grid, the Federal Prosecutor's Office has taken over the investigation of the suspected perpetrator. Due to the special importance of the case, the Karlsruhe authority assumed jurisdiction, a spokeswoman said. Among the allegations is the suspicion of subversive sabotage. Previously, "Der Spiegel" reported on the matter.

A 48-year-old is suspected of attempting to sabotage power lines near coal-fired power plants in North Rhine-Westphalia, Brandenburg, and Saxony. In some cases, he was successful. He was arrested on Tuesday during a large-scale operation near the Weisweiler coal-fired power plant near Aachen. Short circuits caused by his homemade rockets resulted in fuses, and individual blocks of nearby power plants were incapacitated.

No damage to the public was caused. The suspect intended to continue his attacks, according to North Rhine-Westphalia's Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU). "He was still on the move and wanted to continue. This game is now over," Reul said on the day of his arrest. "At this point, it appears that it was a single perpetrator and everything was done by him."

The Aachen district court issued an arrest warrant, and the suspect is currently in preventive detention. The State Prosecutor's Office in Cottbus accuses him of inciting a bomb explosion, disrupting public services, and destroying key equipment. Because the jurisdiction now lies with the federal prosecutor general, the 48-year-old must appear again before the Federal Court of Justice (BGH).

A date for this has not been set yet. "Climate terrorism" as the motive? The background of the investigation was two confessions submitted to various media outlets and also available to the German Press Agency. "The knowledge revealed in these letters is unmistakable evidence of the perpetrator," said Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt last week.

The motive was very likely "climate terrorism" of a single perpetrator, the CSU politician said. In a confession letter, it stated: "Generation of electricity from fossil fuels is a crime." Notably, the locations involved are near areas where lignite is still extracted. Open pit mining exists in North Rhine-Westphalia, southern Brandenburg, and Saxony-Anhalt, as well as in eastern and western Saxony.

Politicians from various parties and experts called for stronger protection of the so-called critical infrastructure and, above all, Germany's power grids following the sabotage actions.