Born on July 21, 1947, in 1967 Weinrich founded - with Wilfried Bose - the Revolutionary Cells (RZ), a precursor to the Red Army Faction. The group targeted American interests in Germany and harvested funds for the Palestinian and Vietnamese cause through ‘Red Help’. Weinrich’s companion, Magdalena Kopp, joined the group, which soon attracted the sympathy of Waddi Haddad, who introduced Weinrich to Carlos.

Weinrich and Carlos found themselves together after the arrest of Haddad on the 24 March, 1975; the raid of the El Al airplanes at Orly, executed on behalf of Waddi Haddad, failed. Released a few months later for health reasons, Weinrich went underground and joined Carlos - now autonomous - as his right hand man. Magdalena Kopp left Weinrich for Carlos, later marrying him. In the eighties, Weinrich maintained ambiguous relations with the STASI, which facilitated the attack on the Maison de la France on 16 August 1983, by allowing the entry of explosives into the GDR. Weinrich was arrested in Yemen in 1995 and sentenced to life for the Maison de la France attacks.

He hopes to be released in 2020. Acquitted for the attacks at rue Marboeuf and St.Charles Station, he is still awaiting trial for the 1975 rocket launcher attacks on Orly airport, as well as the attacks on Radio Free Europe (21 February, 1981), the Capitole train (29 March, 1982) and the ambassador to Saudi Arabia in Athens (13 April, 1983).


Additional information:
Extracted the book (pdf) : « Dans l'ombre du Chacal » (Im Schatten des Schakals), Oliver Schröm.