Germany faces criticism for failing to prevent Christmas market attack while suspect is held in pre-trial detention – JURIST
German police revealed Saturday that the suspect in Friday’s Christmas market attack in the city of Magdeburg is currently in pre-trial custody on charges of murder, attempted murder and grievous bodily harm as German politicians from opposing political camps condemned the coalition government for “ignoring warnings” about the attack.
On Friday evening, a man drove a car into a crowd of visitors at the Christmas market, killing five people and injuring more than 200. Among the dead are four women and a nine-year-old boy. The suspect, Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, a 50-year-old man from Saudi Arabia, who lived in Germany for more than 10 years and worked as a doctor in Bernburg, is now held in custody. He acted alone for reasons that are still under investigation.
Holger Münch, head of Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), told news outlet ZDF on Saturday evening that the department had previously received a warning from Saudi Arabia about the man in 2023, but “the case was ambiguous.” Bernd Baumann, the parliamentary head of the far-right political party Alternative for Germany (AfD), demanded an urgent special parliamentary session be called to discuss internal security issues
Amid tensions over the attack, more than 2,100 far-right protesters took to the streets of Magdeburg on Saturday night, some of whom voiced calls for the mass deportation of immigrants. Occasional minor disturbances involving physical contact occurred during protests, according to the police report.
Additionally, the AfD is going to hold a funeral procession and public memorial service on Monday for the victims.
