Brothers Stand Mute in Court during Blood Vengeance Hearing
The trial for the shootings that took place outside the Regional Court in Bielefeld, Germany, began on August 5, 2025. The defendants, the brother and sister of the late professional boxer Besar Nimani, are charged with attempted murder in relation to a suspected blood feud[1][2][3].
The tragic events unfolded in February 2025, following a day of proceedings in the trial for Nimani’s murder. His brother and sister allegedly opened fire on relatives of the man convicted of his killing. Four people were injured, some critically, including three relatives of the convicted 34-year-old man[1][2][3].
The 41-year-old brother, currently a defendant, sent a letter from detention stating he did not intend to kill with his shots but aimed to injure. He also expressed that police and prosecution had insufficiently investigated the murderer's family. The father and brother of the defendant are suspected of being instigators or accomplices[1][2][3].
The motive for Nimani’s murder remained unclear at the start of the trial. The former professional boxer was shot 16 times and killed in central Bielefeld some months ago[1][2][3]. The accused sister fired five shots from a semi-automatic weapon, striking four people[1][2][3].
The accused siblings are German citizens originally born in Kosovo. The court has scheduled trial dates running until October 2025. Both defendants have so far remained silent in court[1][2][3].
The first day of the trial saw a poignant moment as the brother of the murdered boxer appeared confident and gave a thumbs-up towards his family in the courtroom[1]. The area was cordoned off for hours in the southern part of Bielefeld's old town[2].
The shooters fled the scene after the incident and turned themselves in to the police days later. An international manhunt is still ongoing for a second suspect who fired 15 shots in front of witnesses[1].
The father of the murdered professional boxer was severely injured and required emergency surgery to survive. A large police presence ensured the safety of the oral proceedings, and spectators had to pass through two security checkpoints[1][2].
In another letter, the brother complained that the murderer of his brother was sentenced to life in prison, but he considers "prison in Germany... like a hotel." He urged his family to ensure the instigator also goes to prison[1]. The driver of the car in which the accused sister was a passenger is currently unknown.
This trial is thus focused on the retaliation acts by Nimani’s siblings following the murder of their brother, framed within the context of a suspected blood feud, with multiple injuries resulting from the February shooting outside the courthouse. The legal process is ongoing with procedures planned for several more months[1][2][3][4].
- Amidst the ongoing trial for the shooting outside the Regional Court in Bielefeld, questions about the community policy and general-news coverage of the incident, as well as the employment policy of the court security, have arisen, given the multiple injuries and the ongoing international manhunt for the second suspect.
- The politics surrounding the crime-and-justice system are raised as the accused siblings, German citizens originally born in Kosovo, argue that the police and prosecution have insufficiently investigated their presumed instigator or accomplice, and express frustrations about the severity of the punishment, comparing it to a hotel-like experience in German prisons.
