Germany knew Abdul Ballout was dangerous. It let him go anyway.

“The question is whether the system needs reform, or whether its application was wrong,” says Hans-Jakob Schindler, an expert on terrorism at the Counter Extremism Project, an ngo. “But it certainly looks odd.”

"This is not just a national sports club or nationalist sports club. In its essence, it’s the strategy to build a neo-Nazi militia,” said Alexander Ritzmann, a senior adviser for the Counter Extremism Project.

Ritzmann has been studying the Active Club movement for years.

He says that, in their propaganda, Rundo and his followers liken themselves to Italy's fascist militia known as the Blackshirts or to Adolf Hitler's Stormtroopers.

Counter-extremism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler, who advises the German government, told local media there were more than 9,000 Islamists living in the country in 2025, including 2,590 in the capital, 1,940 of whom are believed to be violent.

The LSVD+ queer advocacy group said homophobic and anti-trans attacks had increased tenfold in Germany in recent years.

A deadly terror attack on a Pride event in Berlin prompts more calls for a crackdown on Islamic extremism. Fresh off the rescheduled White House Correspondents Dinner, Trump signals a new phase in the Iran conflict: And, the key midterm contests are locked in. Reporting from Tim Rice and Cabot Phillips. Plus, we speak with Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler, Senior Director of the Counter Extremism Project. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.

About a year ago, CEP acquired several lenses made during Sternfeld’s Astro-Berlin tenure. In collaboration with Focus Canning, a London-based company, CEP had the lenses restored and retrofitted to a modern camera. CEP contacted Altman and asked the Jewish photographer to use the pieces and retrace Sternfeld’s trek from Berlin to Auschwitz.

Why was suspected Berlin Pride attacker Abdul B. not in prison, and how alert are German authorities to the threat from Islamist terrorism? DW put these and other questions to terrorism expert Dr Hans-Jakob Schindler, Senior Director, Counter Extremism Project. 

Speaking about the terrorist attack on the Berlin Pride event, Dr Hans-Jakob Schindler tells GB News that it's unclear which part of the Islamist milieu the suspect belonged to. He explains the security steps that were implemented in advance for the event.

Live interview with Dr Hans-Jakob Schindler, terrorism expert and Senior Director at the Counter Extremism Project), about the terrorist attack at Christopher Street Day in Berlin during the 2026 annual Pride celebrations.

However, terrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler of the Counter Extremism Project said he did not find that explanation convincing, saying: 'The personnel links to the Hamas leadership are too close.'

Schindler said Hamas' growing weakness following the war with Israel could increase the risk of attacks abroad.

'Hamas' weakness is not a good sign for Europe in itself,' he added.

He said terrorist organisations seek publicity to demonstrate their continued relevance.

 Schindler further suggested that an attack in a European city or on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean would generate global attention while placing political pressure on countries viewed as supporters of Israe