Ex-Stasi Officer Convicted of 1974 Berlin Border Shooting, Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison

A former East German Stasi officer, Martin Manfred Naumann, has been convicted of murder for a 1974 shooting. The victim, Czeslaw Kukuczka, was a 38-year-old Polish man who was attempting to flee to West Germany. Naumann, now 80, was found guilty by the Berlin court and sentenced to 10 years in jail. The case was significant as it marked the first time a former Stasi officer had been convicted of a murder committed on duty. The court found that Naumann shot Kukuczka in the back at close range, and the evidence showed that he was the gunman. The case was reopened after the Stasi's files relating to the case were shredded, and the truth about Kukuczka's death remained unknown for decades. The verdict was handed down by Judge Bernd Miczajka, who stated that Naumann did not commit the crime for personal reasons.