BERLIN — An 80-year-old former officer of East Germany’s secret police, known as the Stasi, has been sentenced to ten years in prison for the murder of Czes?aw Kukuczka, a 38-year-old Polish man, at a border crossing in Berlin fifty years ago.

The Berlin state court confirmed that there was solid proof that the then-first lieutenant shot Kukuczka during an ambush on March 29, 1974, while acting on orders from the Stasi, according to reports from a German news agency.

During the sentencing, presiding judge Bernd Miczajka emphasized that the incident was not motivated by personal reasons but was a premeditated act executed ruthlessly by the Stasi. The judge pointed out that the accused, whose identity was withheld due to German privacy laws, fired his weapon “at the end of a chain of command.”

While the public prosecutor had recommended a punishment of 12 years, the court decided on a 10-year term. The defense attorney argued for an acquittal, stating there was insufficient evidence to prove that the defendant fired the shot that resulted in Kukuczka’s death.

Throughout the proceedings, the accused remained mostly silent. However, his lawyer indicated at the trial’s outset that he denied any wrongdoing. The judgment can still be contested in the courts.

This tragic case dates back to March 29, 1974. On that day, Kukuczka reportedly attempted to threaten officials at the Polish Embassy with what he claimed was a bomb, seeking permission to leave for West Berlin. In a strategic move, the Stasi decided to feign approval for his exit.

Following the issuance of exit documents, Kukuczka was escorted to a border crossing at the Friedrichstrasse railway station in East Berlin. At that time, the defendant, who was 31 years old, was ordered to render Kukuczka “harmless.” According to prosecutors, after Kukuczka passed through the final checkpoint, the suspect allegedly shot him from his concealed position.

The investigation into this case progressed slowly until a significant breakthrough occurred in 2016, when new information regarding the shooter was uncovered from the extensive Stasi archives. Initially, prosecutors considered that the case may be classified as manslaughter, which is subject to a statute of limitations in Germany.

Following the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961, East Germany effectively barred most of its citizens from traveling to West Berlin. Many citizens sought to escape by various means, leading to at least 140 deaths during attempts to cross the heavily fortified border.

The wall was eventually opened on November 9, 1989, marking a pivotal event in the decline of communism across Europe. Just months later, Germany was reunified, concluding decades of division.