Bio

Alex Weins, also known as Alexander Wiens, was born in 1980 in Perm, Russia. His early life is not widely documented, but it is known that he completed a vocational training program as a warehouseman after leaving school. In 1999, he underwent a medical examination for conscription into the Russian armed forces. He was exempted from military service due to a diagnosis suggesting he suffered from a severe and chronic psychosis.

In 2003, Wiens immigrated to Germany, gaining citizenship because of his ethnic background. Upon moving to Germany, he worked as a builder and caretaker. At the time of the events leading to his arrest, Wiens was living on welfare benefits for the long-term unemployed.

There is little public information about his social life or relationships. By November 2009, when he was sentenced, Wiens was 28 years old and unmarried, with no children. His life in Germany was marked by difficulties, such as dependency on social assistance and a history of violent behavior. In August 2008, he became involved in a confrontation with Marwa El-Sherbini, which led to significant legal consequences in 2009.

Murder Story

On July 1, 2009, Marwa Ali El-Sherbini was killed in a courtroom in Dresden, Germany. She had come to testify against Alexander Weins, who had verbally abused her in the past due to her being Muslim and wearing a headscarf. During the appeal hearing, while she was about to leave with her husband and three-year-old son, Weins suddenly attacked her with a kitchen knife he had brought into the courtroom. El-Sherbini suffered more than 15 stab wounds.

In the chaos, her husband tried to intervene and protect her. He was also stabbed multiple times. As the situation unfolded, a police officer, who was in the court building for an unrelated case, responded to the commotion. Unfortunately, he mistook El-Sherbini's husband for the attacker and shot him in the leg.

Weins was arrested at the scene. He expressed a desire to be shot by the police while in custody. Marwa El-Sherbini succumbed to her injuries shortly after the attack.

Weins faced charges of murder and attempted murder. During the trial, it was revealed that his actions were motivated by deep-seated hostility and prejudice against both her race and religion. On November 11, 2009, he was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. The case drew widespread attention, particularly from the Muslim community and international media, as it highlighted issues of racism and Islamophobia in Germany.