Spanish tourist stabbed at Berlin Holocaust Memorial testifies in terror trial

The man travelled from Spain to appear at the Berlin Higher Regional Court, where a 19-year-old is on trial on attempted murder and terrorism charges over the incident on February 21.

The 31-year-old said he "never really saw" the attacker, who shouted "something to do with Allah" as he grabbed the tourist from behind with one hand and stabbed him with the other.

The victim was visiting the site, which commemorates the 6 million Jews killed by Nazi Germany in the Holocaust, with friends when the incident took place. He suffered life-threatening injuries and had to undergo emergency surgery.

The defendant, a Syrian refugee, was detained with blood-stained hands in the vicinity of the memorial following the attack.

He is believed to have travelled to the site from his home in the eastern state of Saxony in order to carry out an attack motivated by radical Islamism and anti-Semitism in the name of the Islamic State terrorist group.

The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office has accused the man of attempted murder, grievous bodily harm and attempted membership of a foreign terrorist organization.

The trial began on November 20 and is expected to end in late January.

(In arrangement with DPA)