German court denies early release for convicted neo-Nazi

Convicted German neo-Nazi Beate Zschäpe is to remain in prison until at least the year 2035, a Munich court ruled on Tuesday, rejecting a request by Zschäpe for early release.

Zschäpe was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Munich Higher Regional Court in 2018 as an accomplice in crimes committed by the National Socialist Underground (NSU), a neo-Nazi terror group that carried out racially motivated attacks between 2000 and 2007.

The NSU is held responsible for the killings of nine people with ethnic minority backgrounds - considered the biggest series of far-right murders in Germany's post-war history - as well as the killing of a policewoman, two bombings and a spate of robberies.

At her trial, the Munich Higher Regional Court had determined that Zschäpe's guilt was of a particularly serious nature. This virtually ruled out early release after 15 years. 

With this period due to expire in November - because Zschäpe was remanded in custody in November 2011 - she applied for early release anyway, but the request was denied by the court.

The court ruled that Zschäpe, now 51, should spend at least 24 years in prison and also refused to suspend the remainder of her sentence on probation.

The decision can still be appealed.