German federal prosecutors have indicated suspicions that a car ramming incident in Munich was motivated by religious beliefs and aimed at destabilizing Germany’s democratic principles, leading them to take over the investigation into the event.
At least 39 individuals, including a young child, sustained injuries yesterday when a 24-year-old Afghan man drove his vehicle into demonstrators congregated in the city center, heightening security concerns ahead of the upcoming federal election on 23 February.
The federal prosecutor’s office stated, “There is a suspicion that the act was religiously motivated and can be interpreted as an assault on the free democratic basic order.”
At least 30 people were injured when the Afghan asylum seeker’s car crashed into the crowd.
Additionally, the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office continues its criminal inquiry into the matter.
“I am very cautious about jumping to conclusions, but based on the information available so far, I would suggest an Islamist motivation behind the crime,” Mr. Tilmann remarked.
Law enforcement fired at the vehicle following the attack; however, the suspect did not sustain any injuries. Mr. Tilmann noted that the driver later uttered the phrases “Allahu akbar” (“God is greatest”) and prayed in front of the police.
This incident occurred shortly before leaders such as US Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky were set to arrive in the southern city for the annual Munich Security Conference, although police reported no connection between the two occurrences.
Store detective
Mr. Tilmann stated that there was no evidence to suggest that the suspect, identified as Farhad Noori, had ties to any Islamist or terrorist organizations.
There was no indication of any accomplices, yet investigators are examining his communications—primarily in Dari, a language spoken in Afghanistan—and materials seized during searches to determine if anyone had prior awareness of the act or was complicit.
A Munich court has issued an arrest warrant for the suspect, mandating him to remain in investigative custody.
German authorities reported that the Afghan national entered Germany as an unaccompanied minor in 2016, is legally residing in the country, and has been employed as a store detective.
Mr. Tilmann mentioned that Mr. Noori had utilized social media to portray himself as a bodybuilder and athlete, while also sharing religious-themed content.
He had no prior convictions and was not subject to deportation, as clarified by deputy police chief Christian Huber, who addressed previous police statements that had been seized upon by conservative and far-right politicians.
This misinformation was communicated “during the chaos of the early hours,” he explained.
Immigration and security issues have been at the forefront of campaigning leading up to the election, particularly following a series of violent incidents in recent weeks, with polls indicating that the center-right conservatives lead, followed closely by far-right parties.
In December, six fatalities occurred in an attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg, and last month, both a toddler and an adult lost their lives in a knife assault in the Bavarian town of Aschaffenburg. Immigrants have been implicated in both incidents.
Friedrich Merz, the conservative frontrunner for Germany’s chancellorship, declared that ensuring security would be his primary focus, while the far-right AfD, which is polling in second place, has fixated on the suspect’s legal status in Germany.
