According to the verdict, the attacker struck Shapira with his fist and kicked him in the face, leaving the Jewish student with a complex facial fracture and a brain hemorrhage.
A German court sentenced a 24-year-old man from Berlin to three years in prison on Thursday for the brutal assault of a Jewish student, ruling that the attack— which left the victim with serious injuries — was fueled by antisemitic hatred.
Formerly a student at the Free University of Berlin (FU), the defendant was found guilty for the attack on Lahav Shapira, the grandson of Amitzur Shapira — one of the 11 Israeli athletes murdered by Palestinian terrorists during the 1972 Munich Olympics.
Last year, Shapira, 32, was attacked outside a bar in the central Mitte district of Germany’s capital.
His brother, Shahak Shapira — a popular comedian based in Germany — said the attack happened “unannounced.”
Shahak claimed that the attacker recognized Lahav, spoke to him aggressively, and followed him when he left the bar.
Earlier in the trial, Lahav appeared as a witness and gave his testimony on the assault, recounting how the severe injuries he sustained forced him to stay at home for several weeks after the attack.
According to the verdict, the attacker struck Shapira with his fist and kicked him in the face, leaving the Jewish student with a complex facial fracture and a brain hemorrhage.
In the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas pogrom, in which over 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 taken hostage, Shapira emerged as a vocal advocate for Israel on campus.
German prosecutor Tim Kaufmann, who had requested a sentence of two years and four months for the attack, described the assault on Shapira as a clear example of antisemitic violence.
“Lahav Shapira was attacked because he is Jewish and campaigned against antisemitism,” Kaufmann said.
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