Weimar (dpa/th) - A bus driver in Thuringia is said to have insulted a Syrian passenger, thrown him off the bus at a bus stop in Weimar and kicked him. The bus driver's statements, which the 32-year-old victim described, had a xenophobic tendency, said a police spokesman on Wednesday on request. The man from Syria had a valid ticket and wore a mask, which is still mandatory in local public transport.
Nevertheless, the driver who drove the bus on the route between Nohra and Weimar in the Weimarer Land district asked him to leave the vehicle at a bus stop. According to police, the incident happened last Monday. Witnesses are now being sought for the attack, which the police believe may have been politically motivated.
The criminal police are investigating suspected politically motivated insults and physical harm, the police spokesman said. So far, there have only been statements by the victim who called the police. The 32-year-old has scratches on his face and bruises on his upper body. He went to the doctor himself at his own request. It is still being determined which bus driver it was.
Other passengers are said to have stayed at the bus stop and on the bus. "We are not aware that anyone intervened," said the police spokesman when asked.
The victim reported that he had not complied with unfounded requests to leave the bus and was therefore grabbed by the shoulders of the driver and pushed through the open door onto the sidewalk. The 32-year-old said he defended himself against the kicks. The man told the police that he received several blows to the head and upper body. The bus driver continued his journey.
