Introduction: On Tuesday, April 8, 2025, a Berlin court handed down two-year suspended sentences to Peter Krauth, 65, and Thomas Walter, 62—German left-wing extremists who had lived in exile in Venezuela—for planning a 1995 explosives attack on a Berlin detention center. The duo, part of a militant group called “The Committee,” returned to Germany under a plea deal, closing a decades-long chapter of evasion and legal pursuit. Their case sheds light on Germany’s handling of past radicalism.
The 1995 Attack Plan
The Berlin court of appeal convicted Krauth and Walter for plotting to bomb a deportation center under construction in the Gruenau district in April 1995. The attack, aimed at halting deportations of Kurdish individuals to Turkey, involved loading propane gas bottles into a van. Police intervention foiled the plan, forcing the trio—including a third member, Bernhard Heidbreder, who died in 2021—to flee. The court noted the statute of limitations was paused due to repeated interruptions.
Exile in Venezuela and Return
After years on the run, Krauth and Walter settled in Venezuela, gaining asylum in 2021. Krauth worked as a farmer in Merida, while Walter took jobs on a cocoa plantation and in a print shop, per German media. In February 2025, they struck a deal with authorities to return and confess, avoiding jail time. Their return marks a rare resolution for Cold War-era militants. For more on Germany’s legal system, visit bundesgerichtshof.de.
Legacy of ‘The Committee’
Known as “The Committee,” the trio embodied Germany’s left-wing extremism of the 1990s, targeting state policies like deportation. Unlike groups such as the Red Army Faction, their attack never materialized, but their decades-long evasion kept the case alive. The suspended sentences reflect a balance of justice and leniency, spotlighting debates over statutes of limitations and exile. Stay informed on global justice issues at un.org.