HRW marks six years since Hanau attack, says Germany failing to tackle systemic racism
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused German government of failing to deliver justice and confront systemic anti-Muslim racism
BERLIN (MNTV) — Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused the German government of failing to deliver justice and confront systemic anti-Muslim racism six years after the deadly far-right attack in Hanau.
On February 19, 2020, a gunman motivated by racism and Islamophobia killed nine people — most of them of Muslim background — and injured six others in the western city of Hanau.
HRW on Wednesday commemorated the victims: Ferhat Unvar, Hamza Kurtović, Said Nesar Hashemi, Vili Viorel Păun, Mercedes Kierpacz, Kaloyan Velkov, Fatih Saraçoğlu, Sedat Gürbüz, and Gökhan Gültekin.
In a joint statement, HRW’s Manager for Media and Communications Lisa-Marie Maier and Senior Researcher on Racism in Europe Almaz Teffera said the attack was not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of racist, antisemitic, and Islamophobic violence in Germany.
They cited official statistics showing a sharp rise in hate crimes in recent years, warning that the real numbers are likely much higher.
Anti-Muslim discrimination, they said, remains a daily reality due to inadequate state protection.
“Where protection falls short, groups targeted by hate crime face an environment that can threaten their lives,” the statement said.
HRW also criticized the authorities’ handling of the investigation, saying serious questions remain about the police response, including reports that some victims were unable to reach emergency services during the attack. The group said a comprehensive official inquiry has still not been conducted, leaving families in a prolonged struggle for accountability.
In response to what they see as institutional failures, bereaved families and survivors formed the Initiative 19. Februar Hanau and other grassroots groups to campaign for justice and remembrance.
On the sixth anniversary, the initiative called for nationwide commemorations and solidarity actions.
A 2023 government-commissioned report on anti-Muslim hostility acknowledged widespread discrimination and proposed concrete reforms.
However, HRW said authorities have yet to implement meaningful changes.
With far-right political forces gaining ground in Germany, HRW urged the government to invest in independent, community-based protection and support centers for Muslims and other minorities, calling such measures essential for the country’s long-term social cohesion and safety.
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