The Washington Post.The suspect had been described as between 5’6″ and 5’9″ with a slim frame and a beard, between 18 to 20 years old, wearing flared jeans, a T-shirt, and a bucket hat.
He allegedly fled the scene with another male wearing a white T-shirt.The pro-authoritarian, right-wing commentary and opinion site Remix claims the suspect, identified as Nuradi A., is a migrant and former junior boxing champion from Chechnya, a majority-Muslim region of Russia, who had applied for refugee status but had his request rejected by the German government.Typically, that means he should have been deported back to Russia, but Germany halted all deportations back to Eastern European countries following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the instability in the region.
While Remix and other right-wing sites, as well as fascist political parties, have been eager to link the Münster attack with other anti-LGBTQ attacks committed by Muslim migrants across Europe, some on social media have speculated that Nuradi may be gay himself, possibly having fled Chechnya due to the ongoing purge of gay and bisexual men there.A vigil celebrating Malte’s life and condemning anti-trans violence was held in front of Münster’s historic town hall on Friday night, drawing an estimated crowd of 6,500 people.On Saturday, a judge granted prosecutors’ request to keep Nuradi in detention while he awaits trial.
Nuradi has been charged with bodily harm resulting in death. Politicians and civic groups lamented Malte’s death, with Münster Mayor Markus Lew saying he was “shocked,” saddened, and angered by the assault.