Germany Convicts Turk, but Not of Bomb Plot: Man Was Accused of Targeting U.S. Base

Washington Post ^ | Wednesday, May 7, 2003 | Peter Finn

[Destro]

Germany Convicts Turk, but Not of Bomb Plot
Man Was Accused of Targeting U.S. Base

Washington Post Foreign Service Wednesday, May 7, 2003; Page A28

BERLIN, May 6 -- A Turkish man who was accused of planning a bomb attack on a U.S. military base in Germany on the first anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackings was convicted of illegal possession of explosives and other lesser charges today. Prosecutors withdrew all terrorism counts, saying there was not "sufficient specificity" to prove he planned a strike on the base.

Petmezci's American girlfriend, Astrid Eyzaguirre, 23, who worked at a store on the U.S. Army base in Heidelberg, was acquitted of the explosives charge but convicted of a drug offense.

Petmezci told the court that he planned to make fireworks and said in his final statement today, "I didn't deserve this." Petmezci's attorney, Andrea Combe, complained that her client had been unjustly "stamped as a top terrorist" and forced to spend part of his time awaiting trial in a high-security prison.

[Destro]

What a f*cking outrage.

[Destro]

was convicted of illegal possession of explosives and other lesser charges today

Das ist nich richtig!!!

[pepsionice]

The real story behind this entire episode...was that the witness involved...really fudged about what she heard the Turkish woman say. And once lawyers were involved....the witness began to figure out the consequences of the whole act...so she retracted a fair portion of the original statement. The Germans cops didn't care. They stil had enough for a lighter charge and it would stick. It would appear that there really never was a threat involved.