THREE defence lawyers for a German woman facing murder charges over an alleged neo-Nazi killing spree have asked a Munich court to relieve them of their duties.
The lawyers were appointed to defend Beate Zschaepe, who has been on trial since May 2012 for alleged involvement in 10 murders thought to have been carried out by terror group the National Socialist Underground.
The lawyers claimed they could no longer mount a defence “in terms of the interests of our client”, saying: “Our appointments to the defence are just a facade and transparently serve merely the maintenance of the appearance of a proper defence.”
The extraordinary motion comes a day before Zschaepe was due to testify for the first time about her role in the group in a comprehensive statement. Two other core members of the group died in an apparent murder-suicide in 2011.
Zschaepe’s fourth lawyer, Mathias Grasel, said he will read a statement from his client on Wednesday, after her other lawyers counselled her not to testify.
News.com.au