The German government is under increasing scrutiny regarding the possibility of preventative measures that could have been taken to avert the Christmas market car-ramming incident, which resulted in five fatalities and over 200 injuries.
The 50-year-old Saudi suspect, psychiatrist and anti-Islam activist Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, had previously issued online death threats against German citizens and had a contentious history with state authorities.
According to news magazine Der Spiegel, which cited security sources, the Saudi secret service had alerted Germany’s BND spy agency a year ago about a tweet where Mr. Abdulmohsen threatened that Germany would face a “price” for its treatment of Saudi refugees.
In August, Mr. Abdulmohsen also posted on social media: “Is there a path to justice in Germany without blowing up a German embassy or randomly slaughtering German citizens?… If anyone knows, please let me know.”
Chancellor Olaf Scholz denounced the “terrible, insane” attack on Friday in Magdeburg, calling for national unity amid heightened political tensions as Germany approaches elections on February 23.
He emphasized the importance of “sticking together, linking arms, and ensuring that hatred does not dictate our coexistence, but rather that we are a community seeking a common future.”
However, as German media scrutinized Mr. Abdulmohsen’s background, and investigations provided minimal information, criticism surged from both far-right and far-left parties, who were already vehemently opposed to the Scholz administration.
Bernd Baumann, the far-right AfD’s parliamentary leader, demanded that Mr. Scholz convene a special session of the Bundestag to address the “desolate” security situation, stating that “this is the least we owe to the victims.”
Meanwhile, Sahra Wagenknecht, leader of the far-left BSW party, pressed Interior Minister Nancy Faeser to clarify “why so many tips and warnings were disregarded beforehand.”
Read more: Suspect in German Christmas market attack remanded What we know about German market attack suspect
‘Ultra-right conspiracy ideologies’
Sentiments have escalated, while Magdeburg mourns the tragic event that claimed a nine-year-old child among its victims, with casualties currently being treated across 15 regional hospitals.
Of the 205 injured, approximately 40 are in critical condition, with medical teams working tirelessly to save their lives.
Surgeons have been operating non-stop, as one healthcare worker recounted to local media: “There was blood everywhere, people were screaming, and many painkillers were being administered.”
Authorities have cautioned that they are merely at the beginning of unraveling the motivations behind the attack.
Taleb al-Abdulmohsen was apprehended at the scene beside the severely damaged vehicle (Pic: RAIR Foundation)
Mr. Abdulmohsen, who was taken into custody at the scene next to the wrecked car, described himself as “a Saudi atheist” in an unpublished interview with AFP from 2022.
As an activist, he assisted women in escaping Gulf countries and has previously voiced criticism regarding the insufficient support provided by German authorities.
Conversely, he has been vocal against the influx of other Muslim migrants and war refugees into Germany, subscribing to conspiracy theories about a supposed planned “Islamization” of Europe.
A fierce critic of Germany’s earlier open-door policy for many Muslim migrants, he expressed on the platform X that he wished ex-chancellor Angela Merkel could be jailed for life or executed.
His prior run-ins with the law include a conviction in 2013 in Rostock for “disturbing the public peace through threats,” according to Der Spiegel.
This year, he was under investigation in Berlin for the “misuse of emergency calls” after a confrontation with police at a local station.
Since late October, he had been on sick leave from his job at a clinic near Magdeburg that treats individuals with substance addiction issues.
