A day after the Christmas market attack in Magdeburg, more details about the alleged suspect have emerged. Reports indicate that Saudi Arabia has warned Germany several times about the alleged attacker.
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Just over 24 hours after a man drove a car into a crowd into a Christmas market in Magdeburg, more details have emerged about the attack and the suspect. At least five people have been killed, including a nine-year-old child, and over 200 have been injured. According to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, several of the wounded are in critical condition.
The police have confirmed that the suspect has been detained on the scene. Since then, more information about him has emerged. The alleged attacker is a 50-year-old man from Saudi Arabia who came to Germany as a refugee in 2006. His asylum was granted a decade later. The suspect, Taleb A., a practising psychiatrist and psychotherapist, openly displayed signs of violence and extremism on his social media profile on X, formerly known as Twitter. Among his posts, he claimed that Angela Merkel’s "criminal secret project" was to Islamise Europe and lamented the abolition of the death penalty in Germany. In one English-language post, he wrote: "But when the death penalty is reinstated, she deserves to be killed."
German authorities had been aware of Taleb A. for years
In 2013, he was convicted by the Rostock District Court of "disturbing the public peace through threats of violence" and fined the equivalent of 90 daily rates. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia had reportedly issued three warnings to Germany about his extremist views, according to German news agencies. However, the Spiegel reported that the specifics of these warnings remain unclear.
A year ago, German police planned to issue Taleb A. with a "Gefährderansprache"—a warning intended for individuals considered potential threats. This measure, designed to alert individuals that they are under surveillance and deter criminal activity, was ultimately not carried out. The reasons for this remain undisclosed, according to Tom-Oliver Langhans, director of the Magdeburg police, who spoke at a press conference following the attack.
Prosecutor Horst Walter Nopens tied the suspect's motive to "dissatisfaction over the treatment of Saudi refugees". "As things stand at present, the background could have been dissatisfaction with the treatment of Saudi Arabian refugees in Germany", he said.
Memorial service 24 hours after the attack
Exactly 24 hours after the devastating attack at Magdeburg's Christmas market, at 7:04 p.m., the bells of all churches in the city, as well as many places of worship in the surrounding area, tolled in unison to honour the victims.
A memorial service has taken place at the Magdeburg Cathedral, drawing mourners from across the region. The service was attended by the Federal President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck, among hundreds of other mourners and politicians.