A Saudi doctor goes on trial in Germany on Monday accused of driving an SUV through a Christmas market in a rampage that killed six people and wounded more than 300. Taleb Jawad al-Abdulmohsen, a 50-year-old psychiatrist, was arrested next to the battered vehicle after the attack on December 20 last year in the eastern city of Magdeburg.
Prosecutors say Abdulmohsen, a critic of Islam and an adherent of far-right views and radical conspiracy theories, was motivated by "dissatisfaction and frustration". They say he aimed "to kill as many people as possible" in the attack that stunned the nation days before the Christmas festival. The attack, in which a rented BMW raced into the crowd, killed a nine-year-old boy and five women aged between 45 and 75.
Security services later faced uncomfortable questions about whether the attack could have been prevented, given Abdulmohsen's history of extreme rhetoric and violent threats. He will face six counts of murder and 338 counts of attempted murder in a trial expected to last until at least March.
The enormous number of victims and witnesses means that the trial will be held in a specially built temporary hall as no existing courtroom in the state of Saxony-Anhalt could accommodate the trial. Abdulmohsen, who will be seated in a bullet-proof booth, faces life in prison if convicted.
Abdulmohsen first arrived in Germany in 2006 and was awarded refugee status 10 years later. Active at times as a migrant rights campaigner, he was also a prolific user of social media, writing rambling posts critical of Islam and repeating far-right conspiracy theories. As well as clashing with other activists, he criticised the German government for its supposed complicity in the country's "Islamisation".
He had been working as a psychiatrist since 2020 despite concerns over his competence that led some colleagues to nickname him "Dr Google", according to news magazine Der Spiegel. The magazine also reported that Saudi authorities tried to warn German intelligence about a social media post in August 2024 in which Abdulmohsen mused about attacking a German embassy or "randomly killing Germans".
However, Abdulmohsen's threats were often not taken seriously and his often bizarre ideology appears to have contributed to him falling through the cracks of surveillance by anti-terror authorities. The spark for the attack seems to have been a court ruling that went against Andulmohsen in a civil lawsuit against other refugee activists.
The trial will also examine flaws in the security measures at the market, which should have been significantly reinforced following a deadly truck attack on a Christmas market in Berlin in 2016. This year, some cities have cancelled the tradition because of the cost of anti-terrorism measures. The attack in Magdeburg was one of a string committed by foreign nationals that inflamed Germany's debate on immigration in the run-up to a general election in February.
That election saw the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) win a record 20% . The party are now riding high in opinion polls in Saxony-Anhalt, of which Magdeburg is the capital, and observers say they have a real chance of taking control of a state for the first time in elections next year.
From breaking news to thought-provoking opinion pieces, our newsletter keeps you informed & engaged.
