Germany begins trial for suspects in murder of Ukrainian basketball players

Ukrainian basketball players, 17-year-old Volodymyr Yermakov and his 18-year-old friend Artem Kozachenko, were killed in a knife attack in Dusseldorf on Feb. 12.

Suspects, aged from 14 and 16 appeared at the court, two of whom are citizens of Germany, and two of them are citizens of Syria.

The attack was carried out on the basis of xenophobia, the prosecutor's office believes. The criminal plan was drawn up while on the bus, and the only reason for the attack was that the victims were Ukrainians, the prosecution said.

The case also includes video footage from the bus surveillance camera.

Three of the four defendants committed crimes even before the attack on Ukrainians, the DW wrote.

One of them was previously arrested for robbery and bodily harm. The court should take these facts into account, the lawyer of the victims believes.

Attack on Ukrainian basketball players in Germany

The murderer of Yermakov was arrested in Germany, the spokesperson of the Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, Oleh Nikolenko, reported later. Killer turned out to be a 15-year-old student of German-Turkish descent from Gelsenkirchen. The Ukrainians were attacked after a dispute in the bus, the media said.

Three more teenagers were arrested in Germany in connection with the murder of a Ukrainian basketball player, DW reported on February 16. They are a 14-year-old German of Greek origin from Herne and two Syrians aged 14 and 15 from Gelsenkirchen.

Volodymyr Ermakov died immediately from stab wounds, Artem Kozachenko died 10 days later in intensive care from septic multiorgan failure.