Former Baader-Meinhof Member Faces Trial for Decades-Long Robbery Spree
A former member of the notorious Baader-Meinhof group, also known as the Red Army Faction (RAF), has gone on trial in Germany for a series of alleged robberies she committed while evading capture for nearly three decades. Daniela Klette, now 66 years old and the last female member of this far-left terror organization, appeared before a court in Celle on Tuesday, facing 14 criminal charges that include armed robbery and attempted murder.
Klette was apprehended in February of the previous year at her flat in the upscale Kreuzberg neighborhood of Berlin, where she led a seemingly ordinary life. Unbeknownst to her neighbors, she walked her dog, participated in capoeira classes, and reportedly tutored local schoolchildren in mathematics. However, investigations into her background revealed a more sinister truth: in her apartment, authorities found an antitank grenade and a Kalashnikov rifle.
The Baader-Meinhof group, active during the 1970s and 1980s, was known for its violent campaign of domestic terrorism, which resulted in numerous murders. Klette belonged to what is often referred to as the “third generation” of the RAF, which included Ernst-Volker Staub and Burkhard Garweg—both of whom remain fugitives. Despite the group's dissolution in the 1990s, Klette and her accomplices allegedly financed their years in hiding through at least a dozen armed robberies primarily in northern Germany.
While the trial will specifically address Klette's involvement in the robberies, it is noteworthy that charges related to her activities with the RAF, including connections to terror attacks on Deutsche Bank in 1990, the US embassy in Bonn in 1991, and a prison in Hessen in 1993, are expected to be covered in a subsequent indictment. The trial is taking place at the high-security building of Celle upper regional court, prompted by substantial security concerns.
On the morning of the trial, around 50 protesters from various left-wing and far-left groups gathered outside the courthouse, expressing solidarity with Klette as she faced the courtroom proceedings. According to the Verden public prosecutor's office, Klette was allegedly involved as a driver during a spate of armed robberies, including a notable incident in 2015 when the group attempted to rob an armored vehicle containing over one million euros near Bremen. During that robbery, Klette was reportedly armed with a nonfunctional RPG-7 antitank gun and a submachine gun, while Garweg fired at the vehicle with an automatic rifle.
Allegations stemming from Klette's arrest last year indicated she sent text messages to Garweg, possibly to provide him advance notice and allow him to escape. It is believed that he too had been living under an alias in Berlin.
One of Klette's lawyers, Ulrich von Klinggräff, criticized the trial for potentially conflating Klette's alleged robberies with broader unsubstantiated claims about the RAF. He pointed out that the indictment, which spans 600 pages, makes countless references to the RAF, creating a connection that may not be warranted. Despite the heavy security measures in the court, von Klinggräff noted that Klette, feeling nervous about the trial, would face it with a fighting spirit.
Another attorney representing Klette, Undine Weyers, acknowledged that there is likely evidence linking her client to the robberies but stressed the lack of definitive proof placing her at any specific crime scene or regarding her exact role in these activities.
The court has scheduled hearings throughout the remainder of the year, promising to unravel more about Klette's shadowy past and the extent of her involvement in the criminal undertakings associated with the militant group.
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