Former Red Army Faction Member Daniela Klette Faces Broadened Indictment for Decades-Old Terror Attacks

BERLIN – Daniela Klette, a former leading member of Germany’s notorious Red Army Faction (RAF), is now facing a significantly expanded legal challenge, as federal prosecutors have filed new charges linking her to a series of severe terror attacks from the early 1990s. The charges, lodged in a Frankfurt court on March 23, 2026, accuse the 66-year-old of attempted murder, bomb attacks, kidnapping for ransom, and aggravated robbery, dramatically deepening the scope of her alleged crimes beyond the armed robberies for which she is already on trial. Her arrest in February 2024, after more than three decades in hiding, brought an end to one of Germany’s longest-running manhunts and reignited public discourse on the country's turbulent militant past.

Arrest Ends Decades-Long Fugitive Status

Klette's capture in Berlin marked a pivotal moment for German law enforcement. For over 30 years, she, along with her alleged accomplices Burkhard Garweg and Ernst-Volker Staub, had successfully evaded authorities, prompting them to be dubbed "RAF pensioners." The breakthrough came in November 2023, following a public tip-off and an appeal for information on a popular television crime program, which generated hundreds of leads. Klette, who reportedly lived under a false identity and even tutored schoolchildren and practiced capoeira in her Berlin neighborhood, offered no resistance during her arrest. A subsequent search of her apartment uncovered a cache of weapons, including a Kalashnikov assault rifle, an anti-tank grenade, explosives, substantial amounts of gold, and cash, underscoring her continued preparedness for a life outside the law.

The Robbery Trial: Funding a Life Underground

Prior to these new indictments, Klette's legal proceedings commenced in March 2025 in Celle, focusing on a series of armed robberies and attempted murders committed between 1999 and 2016. Prosecutors allege that these acts, which include stealing millions of euros, were carried out by Klette, Garweg, and Staub to finance their lives in hiding after the Red Army Faction formally disbanded in 1998. The Celle trial, which has seen Klette express defiance and a commitment to her ideological struggle against "capitalism and the patriarchy," is expected to continue for some time, with hearings scheduled until late 2026. Witnesses in this ongoing trial have reportedly faced challenges recalling events accurately due to the passage of time, leading to some charges being dropped to expedite proceedings.

New Allegations: Echoes of RAF's Violent Climax

The recent charges brought by federal prosecutors in Frankfurt represent a significant shift, targeting Klette's alleged involvement in the RAF's direct terror activities during its final, most violent phase. The indictment includes accusations of her participation in three major incidents from the early 1990s:

• February 1990 Deutsche Bank Car Bomb: Klette is accused of helping prepare a car bomb, containing over 45 kg of explosives, placed outside a Deutsche Bank building in Eschborn. The device failed to detonate, but prosecutors contend that three security guards would likely have been killed had it exploded.
• 1991 US Embassy Attack: She is charged with attempted murder in 20 cases related to a 1991 assault on the US embassy in Bonn. In this attack, RAF members allegedly fired more than 250 machine-gun rounds from across the Rhine River, endangering the lives of 20 individuals.
• 1993 Weiterstadt Prison Bombing: Klette is also implicated in a 1993 incident where a group overpowered guards at a new prison complex in Weiterstadt before planting explosives that caused damage estimated at 123 million Deutschmarks.

These new charges highlight the gravity of Klette's alleged past actions, particularly her direct involvement in attacks intended to cause mass casualties and significant destruction. The Frankfurt court is now set to evaluate whether to proceed with a full trial on these historical terror charges, a decision expected to take several months.

The Legacy of the Red Army Faction

Daniela Klette is identified as a member of the "third generation" of the Red Army Faction, a far-left militant group that emerged from the student protest movements of the late 1960s. Also known as the Baader-Meinhof Gang, the RAF waged a campaign of violence against what it perceived as the "fascist capitalist state" of West Germany and "US imperialism." Over three decades, the group was responsible for the deaths of at least 33 people, including public officials, police officers, business leaders, and American soldiers. While the RAF officially dissolved in 1998, the pursuit of its remaining members, particularly Klette, Garweg, and Staub, symbolizes Germany's enduring commitment to addressing its domestic terror past and ensuring that such crimes do not go unpunished. The ongoing legal processes against Klette serve as a stark reminder that even after decades, the long arm of justice can reach those who seek to evade accountability for severe acts of terrorism.