German Christmas market assault – newest: Suspect seems in court docket as leaders heckled over ‘security failings’
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The Saudi doctor accused of driving into a German Christmas market and killing five people has appeared in court, as anger over ‘security failings’ grows.
Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, 50, was remanded in police custody after appearing in front of a judge on Saturday evening.
In a statement, Magdeburg police said: “The judge ordered pre-trial detention for five counts of murder, multiple attempted murder and multiple counts of dangerous bodily harm,” its statement said.
It came hours after politicians were heckled over security concerns as they arrived in Magdeburg on Saturday.
Security at Christmas markets in Germany has stepped up in recent years following a deadly attack in Berlin in 2016, but the attacker was able to gain access on Friday via emergency exit points.
Soon after his arrest, reports also began to emerge that the German authorities had been warned of the suspect but considered him “no specific danger”.
Both sides of the political spectrum have commented on the missed opportunity to stop the attacker, AfD’s parliamentary head demanding a parliamentary session to be held to discuss security issues.
German Christmas market attack: Everything we know as car attack kills five and injures hundreds
Four women and a nine-year-old boy have been killed, with 41 people thought to still be critically injured.
A 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia was arrested on Friday following the attack and has been remanded in custody.
Identified as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, he has been in the country since 2006 and according to local media outlets, he reportedly sympathised with the country’s far-right Alternative for Germany party.
Here’s everything we know about the attack so far:
German Christmas market attack suspect speaks to BBC in resurfaced 2019 interview
In the days since his arrest, a 2019 BBC video featuring the Magdeburg attack suspect has resurfaced.
In the interview, Taleb al-Abdulmohsen is seen discussing a website he designed to help ex-Muslims flee the Gulf region.
German authorities were warned about suspect
German authorities received a warning last year about the suspect in a car attack at a Christmas market which killed five people, officials have said.
The German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees said on social media site X on Sunday it received a tip in late summer 2023.
The said: “This was taken seriously, like every other of the numerous tips.”
The office highlighted it is not an investigative office and said it referred the information to the relevant authorities, following procedure in such cases.
It gave no other details about the suspect or the nature of the warnings.
Who is Taleb al-Abdulmohsen?
Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, a 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia, is suspected of ramming his car into a German Christmas market, killing five.
On Saturday evening, he was remanded into custody after appearing in a court in which he was charged with five counts of murder, multiple attempted murder and multiple counts of dangerous bodily harm.
Authorities confirmed that he first came to Germany in 2006 and later gained refugee status in 2016.
He worked as a psychiatric doctor in the nearby town of Bernburg, with his workplace issuing a statement describing their shock at the attack.
Posting on Instagram, the Salus-Fachklinikum Bernburg clinic said it was “shocked to learn that the alleged perpetrator worked as a specialist doctor in our enforcement in Bernburg”.
It added that the suspect had been employed there as a psychiatric specialist since March 2020, but he had not been working since October due to illness and holiday.
Pictured: Memorial grows in Magdeburg
Nine-year-old boy among the dead
Authorities have confirmed that a nine-year-old boy is among the five people who were killed in an attack on a Christmas market in eastern Germany.
Magdeburg police said that the other victims were four women, aged 45, 52, 67 and 75.
205 people were injured in the attack including 41 in critical condition.
Watch: Far-right protesters rally in Magdeburg after German Christmas market attack
Suspect remanded after appearing before judge
The suspected driver of the car that rammed into a Christmas market in Germany has been remanded in custody after appearing in court on Saturday night.
“The judge ordered pre-trial detention for five counts of murder, multiple attempted murder and multiple counts of dangerous bodily harm,” its statement said.
Five people, including a nine-year-old child, have died following the attack on Friday night.
Far-right gather in Magdeburg
A far-right rally gathered in eastern germany after five people – including a child – were killed in an attack on a Christmas market.
Around 1,000 people congregated in the city of Magdeburg on Saturday night, after misinformation about the motives of the suspected attacker spread online.
The crowd was seen with a banner with the word ‘Remigration’ and local media reported there were some minor altercations with the police.
Police have arrested a 50-year-old Saudi doctor identified by local media as Taleb A, who had lived in Germany since 2006 and reportedly sympathised with Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany party.
Interior minister Nancy Faeser expressed concern that the attack could be exploited by the far right, but said little could be done to prevent seemingly coordinated gatherings.
On Saturday, she also described the suspect as an Islamaphobe.
Source: independent.co.uk
