Halle assassin Stephan Balliet at his trial Photo: picture alliance / ASSOCIATED PRESS | Henrik Schmidt
By Frank Klauss
Stefan Balliet (30) is still a fire hazard! The assassin from Halle took two hostages Monday evening in the JVA Burg, where he is serving a life sentence because of his terror attack with two dead.
Balliet held two prison officers in his power for about an hour, starting around 9 p.m. before he was overpowered by court officials. The incident took place inside the detention center.
The Halle assassin was injured in the attack, his hostages remained physically unharmed. The exact circumstances and details are not yet known.
A gate of the prison (JVA) in Burg (Jerichower Land district) is secured with barbed wire Photo: fux
Balliet is considered an unpredictable prisoner. On the Pentecost weekend of 2020, he tried to escape from Halle prison during the trial. During a yard walk, he climbed a 12-foot fence and spent five minutes looking for a way out of prison before court officials caught him again.
It is currently not known whether Balliet wanted to flee again after the hostage-taking.
On October 9, 2019, the right-wing extremist assassin tried to storm the synagogue in Halle on Yom Kippur, the highest Jewish holiday, and to cause a massacre. He threw incendiary and explosive devices and shot at the access door. When he was unable to get onto the premises, he murdered a 40-year-old passer-by in front of the synagogue and a 20-year-old in a nearby kebab shop. He injured other people while fleeing.