Details Emerge on Abdulmohsen, Suspect in Magdeburg Market Attack

A 50-year-old man, born in Saudi Arabia, is currently in custody in Germany, suspected of carrying out Friday night’s vehicle attack on hundreds of individuals at Magdeburg’s Christmas market. The assault resulted in the deaths of five people, specifically a nine-year-old boy and four women, and left over 200 injured, many of whom are in critical condition. Police believe the suspect acted alone, but significant information has surfaced about him, suggesting this attack differs considerably from any previous incidents Germany has experienced. Taleb al-Abdulmohsen has resided in Germany since 2006 and is identified as a psychiatrist who lived approximately 50km (30 miles) south of Magdeburg, in the town of Bernburg. Abdulmohsen’s profile does not align with that of attackers responsible for mass casualties at Christmas markets in Berlin in 2016 and Strasbourg, France, in 2018, or more recently at a festival in Solingen in August. He is not an extreme Islamist; in fact, based on his social media posts and broadcast interviews, he reportedly abandoned his faith and became an outspoken critic of Islam. The motive behind the Magdeburg attack is presently unclear, but a picture of the suspect has been formed from his past and the various interviews he conducted. He was granted asylum in 2016 and managed a website aimed at assisting other former Muslims in fleeing persecution in their Gulf homelands. German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser stated it was “clear to see” the suspect held “Islamophobic” views. He has also expressed sympathy on social media for Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), known for its anti-immigration stance. Regarding the motive for Friday’s fatalities in Magdeburg, Holger Münch of the federal criminal police has indicated it is too early to determine. “He has anti-Islamic views; of course he’s also been involved with extreme-right platforms and given interviews,” he told German media. “But drawing a conclusion between what he says and what he’s done… it’s not yet possible to conclude it’s politically motivated.” The suspect had been known to German authorities for years, and Saudi officials even provided a warning in November of the previous year. Saudi sources reported that four official notifications, known as “Notes Verbale,” were sent to alert German authorities of his “very extreme views.” Although Saxony-Anhalt police did investigate him, he was never considered a threat because he had exhibited no violence before. Any potential threat was judged “too unspecific.” Magdeburg police chief Tom-Oliver Langhans stated that police had conducted a threat assessment, “but that discussion was one year ago.” Authorities may have been cautious about Saudi warnings. A counter-terrorism expert informed the BBC that the Saudis might have been conducting a disinformation campaign to discredit an individual who attempted to help young Saudi women seek asylum in Germany. In 2013, Abdulmohsen was fined for breaching the peace by making a series of threats, and his flat was searched by the police. The following year, he threatened to carry out acts that would command “international attention” if he did not receive the support he desired, officials said. At the time, he was living in northern Germany, and in 2015, he is alleged to have made threats on a hotline that he would acquire a gun and seek revenge on judges in his previous cases, reports indicate. By 2016, he was granted asylum, apparently on the grounds of political persecution, and in recent years, German reports state he has accused several people of being spies for the Saudi government, while also facing accusations of defamation himself. A profile has emerged of a man who studied psychiatry and subsequently worked from 2020 in a correctional facility for criminals in Bernburg, reportedly without excelling at his job. His employer stated he had been absent from work since October due to leave and illness, but a colleague told the local Mitteldeutsche Zeitung (MZ) that they called him “Dr Google” because he consistently had to verify his diagnosis online first. Concurrently, he was active on social media, promoting conspiracy theories regarding an alleged plot by German authorities to Islamicise Europe, and re-tweeting posts from the leader of the AfD and a far-right activist. He maintained a website designed to assist ex-Muslims in fleeing the Gulf region. It conveyed the message in both English and Arabic: “My advice: do not seek asylum in Germany.” He participated in several interviews, including with the BBC and, most recently last year, with the German news magazine Die Zeit. Christian Fuchs, who interviewed him, noted that it was clear he no longer trusted the authorities and “had a manic personality.” Nancy Faeser informed the German newspaper Bild that investigators would examine “in detail” what information authorities had on Abdulmohsen in the past and how he had been investigated. The German Office for Migration and Refugees announced in a social media post that it had received a complaint about the suspect, which it had “taken seriously,” but as the office was not an investigative body, it had referred the complainant to other authorities. At 19:02 on Friday evening (18:02 GMT), the first call to emergency services was made. The caller reported that a car had driven into a crowd at a Christmas market in central Magdeburg. Police indicated that the caller initially assumed it was an accident, but it quickly became apparent that this was not the case. The driver, police said, had used traffic lights to turn off the road and onto a pedestrian crossing, leading him through an entry point to the market which was reserved for emergency vehicles, injuring a number of people on the way. Footage depicted the driver speeding the vehicle through a pedestrian walkway between Christmas stalls. Eyewitnesses described jumping out of the car’s path, fleeing, or hiding. Police reported that the driver then returned to the road the way he came in and was forced to stop in traffic. Officers already at the market were able to apprehend and arrest the driver at this location. Footage showed armed police confronting and arresting a man who can be seen lying on the ground next to a stationary vehicle—a black BMW with significant damage to its front bumper and windscreen. The entire incident concluded within three minutes, police said. Confirmed fatalities in the attack include a nine-year-old boy, André Gleissner, and four women aged 45, 52, 67, and 75. More than 200 people were injured, and at least 41 of those are in a critical condition. The Schöppenstedt fire department paid tribute to Gleissner in a Facebook post. The fire department stated that the nine-year-old was a member of the children’s fire brigade in Warle—approximately an hour’s drive from Magdeburg. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.