Shock in Cologne: 14-year-old plans to attack Christmas market!
Shock in Cologne: 14-year-old plans to attack Christmas market!
A 14-year-old teenager from Cologne, Emirhan A., is suspected of having planned a terrorist attack on a Christmas market in December 2025. According to Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger , the suspicion occurred as part of an ongoing investigation by the public prosecutor's office, which is directed against the suspects. Emirhan A. is said to have not only achieved a faithful to the terrorist organization "Islamic State" (IS), but also actively violated the prohibition of activity for the group.
The investigators had drawn attention to him by references to Emirhan's TIKTOK account, where he is said to have shared videos and symbols with reference to IS. It is particularly alarming that the young person has called specific attack goals, with the Christmas market in Cologne being highlighted. However, Chief Prosecutor Ulrich Bremer made it clear that the investigation was not based on a specific suspicion of terrorism or on detailed attack plans.
radicalization and their causes
The radicalization of young people in Germany is a serious problem that affects not only young men, but increasingly also girls. WDR reports that Islamists offer a clear direction and orientation, which is appealing for many young people. This simple worldview, which promotes black and white thinking, represents the West as evil and the IS supporters as good fighters.
It is important that overwhelming the multitude of decisions that young people have to make in the West can lead to escape into simple, dogmatic structures. Girls also have to follow clear rules of Islamists who enable themselves to distance themselves from western ways of life, such as disco visits or alcohol consumption, which are considered to be "wrong".
Cases of radicalization
Current surveys show a worrying trend: According to the NRW laying picture Islamism, suspects are getting younger. In recent years, several cases of young people have been documented that radicalized by Islamist chat forums. In 2023, three young people from North Rhine-Westphalia were arrested who planned a murder attack. In the same year, a 15-year-old German-Afghan was taken up, which had planned an attack on a Christmas market.
A study by the "Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy" illustrates the urgency of the topic: Between 2016 and 2022, every fifth person who planned or carried out Islamist terrorist attacks was under 18 years old. In 2021, a 16-year-old Syrian student was prevented from taking an explosive attack on a synagogue and only received a suspended sentence.
The radicalization of young people remains a central concern in German society, as well as the role of social media, which are becoming increasingly important as a platform for extremism. According to DetailsOrt Köln, Deutschland Quellen
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