A German court has given an 8 1/2-year prison sentence to a failed asylum seeker who claims to be from Afghanistan over the stabbing death of his 15-year-old ex-girlfriend.
The verdict in the town of Landau in der Pfalz on September 3 follows a weekend of protests by rival sides in the migrant debate.
Identified as Abdul D., the defendant admitted to the court that he stabbed the girl at a drugstore in the southwestern town of Kandel on December 27.
Prosecutors argued that he acted out of jealousy and revenge after the girl, a German citizen, broke up with him.
The convict’s lawyer told reporters after the Landau district court's decision that his client "accepted" the sentence.
The trial was held behind closed doors in a juvenile court, where prosecutors had sought a maximum term of 10 years.
The accused said he was 15 at the time of the crime, but an expert medical assessment said that he was more likely to be between 17 and 20 years old.
The case sparked national outrage and led to German far-right groups holding protests as part of their campaign against migrants.
An anti-migrant rally in the eastern city of Chemnitz on September 1 drew about 8,000 far-right demonstrators angered by the fatal stabbing of a 35-year-old man that allegedly was carried out by a Syrian and an Iraqi.
Police said about 3,000 counterprotesters turned out to oppose the anti-migrant demonstrators.
Rallies also took place in Kandel.
Failed 'Afghan' Asylum Seeker Jailed 8 1/2 Years In Germany For Murder Of Ex-Girlfriend
People take part in demonstrations following the killing of a German man in Chemnitz on September 1.