A German court has sentenced former Red Army Faction (RAF) member Daniela Klette to 13 years in prison after finding her guilty of multiple armed robberies carried out during more than three decades spent evading authorities. The verdict concludes a lengthy and highly secured trial that examined crimes committed between 1999 and 2016, years after the militant organization had officially dissolved.
Klette, once considered Germany’s most-wanted female fugitive, was arrested in Berlin in February 2024 after living under an assumed identity for many years. Prosecutors argued that the robberies were used to finance the underground lifestyle of former associates linked to the RAF.
Court Finds Klette Guilty of Armed Robbery Network
The regional court found the 67-year-old guilty of several aggravated robberies, kidnapping-related offenses, and weapons violations. Judges concluded that Klette operated alongside alleged accomplices Burkhard Garweg and Ernst-Volker Staub, who remain fugitives.
According to investigators, the group targeted armored cash vehicles and commercial locations across Germany, stealing millions of euros over nearly two decades. The court ruled that the crimes were carefully planned and executed with clear division of responsibilities among the suspects.
Decades in Hiding Ended With 2024 Arrest
Klette managed to avoid capture for more than 30 years while living in Berlin under a false identity. Her arrest in 2024 ended one of Germany’s longest-running manhunts.
Following the arrest, authorities discovered weapons, forged identification documents, cash, and valuable assets inside her residence. Investigators believe the evidence strengthened links between Klette and the robbery operations that financed the fugitives’ lives underground after the RAF’s decline.
The capture was reportedly aided by modern investigative techniques and public information that helped authorities identify her location.
Additional Terrorism-Related Proceedings Still Pending
While the current conviction focuses on robbery-related crimes, Klette continues to face separate investigations connected to alleged attacks attributed to the RAF’s later generation during the early 1990s.
The RAF, one of Germany’s most notorious far-left militant organizations, was responsible for numerous bombings, kidnappings, shootings, and murders during its most active years before formally disbanding in 1998. Some historical allegations linked to Klette remain under review by federal prosecutors.
With the verdict now delivered, attention has shifted toward the ongoing search for Garweg and Staub, the two remaining suspects believed to have participated in the robbery network.
