Syrian Terror Suspect Who Killed Himself in Prison Was Known to Be 'Suicidal'

The suicide of the Syrian migrant Jaber al-Bakr who was suspected of planning a bomb attack on an airport in the German capital has raised a lot of questions, particularly about the level of supervision over the purportedly suicidal detainee.

In an interview with Sputnik, CDU party member and Bundestag MP Wolfgang Bosbach commented on the issue, saying that al-Bakr's death is an outrageous incident that should be thoroughly examined.

In particular, the politician was surprised by the fact that the authorities didn't organize any enhanced surveillance, although it was known that the suspect suffered from psychological problems.

"How is that possible, when there was every reason to believe that the arrested person is suicidal?" the politician told Sputnik.

According to Saxony's legislation, video surveillance of prisoners is prohibited. Instead, prison guards are supposed to regularly observe the cells to prevent any incidents.

"But obviously no one considers it necessary," the politician said.

The State Chancellery of Saxony confirmed that Syrian Jaber al-Bakr, who was in custody over suspicion that he could be planning a terrorist attack in Berlin, committed suicide.

The 22-year-old Syrian migrant was arrested on Monday in Leipzig after he was captured by fellow Syrians who alerted the police.

Bosbach said he didn't blame anyone in particular, but stressed that it is necessary to wait for the results of the investigation.

"Usually in such cases, the competent authorities would say that everything corresponded with the rules, the suicide being just a tragic incident," the politician said.