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A man suspected of driving a car into a German Christmas market in an attack that killed at least five people and injured dozens more faces charges of murder and attempted murder, police said Sunday, after the man was placed under arrest. custody.
Police in the central city of Magdeburg, where the attack occurred on Friday, also reported clashes at a far-right rally attended by about 2,100 people on Saturday night, while other residents took part in somber memorial events.
The suspect is a 50-year-old man from Saudi Arabia who has lived in Germany for almost two decades.
A magistrate remanded the man into protective custody after prosecutors filed charges of five-count murder, multiple counts of attempted murder and grievous bodily harm, according to a police statement.
He identified the dead as a nine-year-old boy and four adult women, ages 52, 45, 75 and 67.
German authorities have not identified the suspect, who has permanent resident status in Germany, and local media reports do not give his full name in accordance with local privacy law. However, international media, including BBC News and The Guardian, identify the accused as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen.
The suspect’s X story describes him as a former Muslim. It is filled with tweets and retweets focusing on anti-Islamic themes and criticism of the religion, while also sharing congratulatory notes to Muslims who left the faith. He criticized German authorities, saying they had not done enough to combat the “Islamification of Europe.” He has also expressed support for the far-right, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
Police reported clashes at a protest attended by about 2,100 people on Saturday night, a day after the attack. Right-wingers had announced the meeting on the Telegram messaging app as an “anti-terrorism demonstration.”
Protesters in black balaclavas could be seen holding a large banner with the word “remigration,” a term popular among far-right supporters who seek the mass deportation of immigrants and people considered non-ethnically German.
The motive for Friday night’s attack remains unclear.
