In a significant closure to a decades-long manhunt, a German court has sentenced Daniela Klette, a former member of the notorious far-left militant group known as the Baader-Meinhof gang, to 13 years in prison. The sentencing, which took place this past Wednesday, concludes a legal saga that spanned more than three decades of evasion.
Klette, now 67, was a key figure in the Red Army Faction (RAF), a radical anti-capitalist organization that shook West Germany in the 1970s and 1980s through a series of bombings, kidnappings, and killings. While the group officially disbanded in 1998, Klette remained a ghost in the system, living under the radar until her arrest in February 2024.
The court heard that Klette's life as a fugitive was far from quiet. To finance her existence and that of her associates, she engaged in a series of meticulous armed robberies between 1999 and 2016. Prosecutors revealed that Klette served as a strategist, scoping out targets and driving getaway vehicles. In some instances, she reportedly wielded a realistic-looking dummy bazooka to intimidate victims while her accomplices used assault rifles.
The heist spree, which targeted supermarkets and armored cash transports, netted a total of approximately $2.8 million. Court spokesman Ahmad Mohamad highlighted the "high level of criminal intent," noting that the operations were planned down to the smallest detail and carried out with precision.
The mystery of Klette's survival for over 30 years was partially unveiled during the raid on her Berlin apartment in early 2024. Authorities discovered a cache of tools used for evasion, including wigs, fake identification cards, large sums of cash, and gold. A Kalashnikov assault rifle was also recovered from the premises.
Klette was found guilty on six counts of "particularly serious robbery," alongside charges of extortion and arms violations. While the 13-year sentence marks a major victory for law enforcement, her defense lawyers have immediately appealed the verdict.
The legal proceedings for Klette are not yet over. Prosecutors have also accused her of three politically motivated attacks during the 1990s while the RAF was still active. Those specific charges are currently being handled in separate legal proceedings, ensuring that the full extent of her militant history will be examined by the judiciary.
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German far-left militant jailed after being fugitive for 30 years
cgtn.com
