To her friends and neighbors, Claudia Ivone seemed completely ordinary.
As our Berlin correspondent Deborah Cole explains, the silver-haired 67-year-old had lived in the same apartment in a bohemian part of west Berlin for years. She led a normal life: she had a dog, went shopping, and had an unusual hobby—she was an active member of a local capoeira dance group.
But Claudia wasn’t who she appeared to be. In fact, that wasn’t even her real name. She was actually Daniela Klette.
For three decades, Klette had been on the run, avoiding justice for violent crimes she committed as a leading member of West Germany’s most infamous far-left militant group, the Red Army Faction, or RAF.
After her arrest two years ago, she was finally sentenced at the end of May to 13 years in prison.
The Guardian’s international security correspondent, Jason Burke, joins Annie Kelly to talk about the history of the RAF and whether the conditions today could lead to the return of armed militant groups like it. Photograph: Sina Schuldt/EPA
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about the podcast episode covering the arrest of Germanys most wanted woman written in a natural tone with clear concise answers
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 Who is the most wanted woman in Germany
She is Daniela Klette a former member of the farleft militant group the Red Army Faction She was on the run for over 30 years
2 What is the Red Army Faction
The RAF was a violent leftwing terrorist group active in West Germany from the 1970s to the 1990s They carried out bank robberies bombings and murders
3 Why was she arrested after all these years
German police tracked her down in April 2024 in Berlin They had been following new leads and used DNA evidence to finally locate her
4 What crimes is she accused of
She is accused of involvement in several RAF attacks including bombings and murders as well as multiple armed robberies committed while she was on the run
5 How did she avoid capture for so long
She lived under a false identity kept a very low profile and avoided using technology that could be tracked Neighbors described her as a quiet normal woman
IntermediateLevel Questions
6 What made this arrest so significant for German history
It was a major breakthrough in one of Germanys longestrunning manhunts It also reopened public debate about the legacy of the RAF and whether the group is truly finished
7 Did the podcast explain how she was finally caught
Yes It details how investigators used old DNA samples new digital forensics and a tip from a TV show about cold cases to narrow down her location
8 Was she living a normal life before her arrest
Surprisingly yes She was living in a shared apartment in Berlin teaching yoga and martial arts and even had a cat Her neighbors had no idea about her past
9 What happened to the other two RAF fugitives
The podcast mentions that two other former RAF members ErnstVolker Staub and Burkhard Garweg are still at large The arrest of Klette has increased pressure to find them
Advanced Questions
10 How did the podcast handle the ethical dilemma of her normal life
It explores the tension
