Christmas market attacker jailed for life for murdering six in Germany
✓A court in Germany has sentenced a man to life in prison for an attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg in 2024, in which six people were killed.
The court imposed the maximum sentence on the defendant, Taleb Al-Abdulmohsen, who is from Saudi Arabia. The 51-year-old was found guilty of murder.
Prosecutors say he drove a rented BMW car at speeds of up to 48km/h (30mph) through the Christmas market in the centre of Magdeburg on 20 December 2024.
They say the attack took place at 19:02 local time when the market was very crowded with Christmas revellers celebrating at the gingerbread and mulled wine stalls. It lasted just a minute and four seconds.
A nine-year-old boy and five women between the ages of 45 and 75 were killed. Around 300 others were injured.
Taleb Al-Abdulmohsen was arrested immediately after the incident.
Prosecutors said he planned the attack well in advance and had acted alone. They said he was not pursuing any serious ideological goals, but acted primarily out of personal motives.
"The defendant's sole concern was, and remains, himself," the Chief Public Prosecutor Matthias Böttcher said.
A psychiatric expert said the man had narcissistic personality disorder and an overwhelming need for attention.
Taleb Al-Abdulmohsen told the court he had been motivated to carry out the attack because of conflicts with the German authorities. He said he was angry that the rights of Saudi women were being ignored.
He said very little about the attack itself.
Taleb Al-Abdulmohsen was granted asylum in Germany in 2016. It is understood that he claimed to face the threat of persecution in Saudi Arabia, due to his criticism of Islam and the ruling family. The German Press Agency DPA said he came from Hofuf in Saudi Arabia, and is from the Shiite minority there.
Officials say he had a history of anti-Islamic rhetoric and far-right sympathies.
He has been described as critical of Islam and he also voiced support on social media for the far-right Alternative for Germany party, hailing the party for fighting the same enemy as him "to protect Germany".
Before the attack, he worked at a clinic in Bernburg, as a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy. He had been employed since 2020 in a secure psychiatric facility for people with addictions, but had most recently been registered as unfit for work.
He has the right to appeal against the verdict.
A temporary courthouse was erected in Magdeburg for his trial, because of the large number of victims.
Germany's Christmas markets and festivals have come under attack before, mainly from extreme Islamists.
At the time of the attack, officials said Taleb Al-Abdulmohsen was an "untypical" attacker.
Read the full story at BBC ↗ · Sky News ↗
A man has been sentenced to life in prison by a German court for an attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg on 20 December 2024. Taleb Al-Abdulmohsen, 51, drove a rented BMW through the market at speeds up to 48km/h for just over a minute during peak hours, killing six people—a child and five women—and injuring approximately 300 others. He was arrested immediately. A psychiatric assessment identified narcissistic personality disorder; he cited personal grievances with German authorities and Saudi women's rights as motivation, though prosecutors concluded his actions were primarily self-focused rather than ideologically driven. Al-Abdulmohsen, a Saudi national granted asylum in 2016 who worked as a psychiatry specialist before being deemed unfit for work, had expressed far-right sympathies and criticism of Islam on social media. The trial took place in a temporary courthouse due to victim numbers. He may appeal the verdict.
Read the full story at BBC ↗ · Sky News ↗
A court in Germany has sentenced a man to life in prison for an attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg in 2024, in which six people were killed.
The court imposed the maximum sentence on the defendant, Taleb Al-Abdulmohsen, who is from Saudi Arabia. The 51-year-old was found guilty of murder.
Prosecutors say he drove a rented BMW car at speeds of up to 48km/h (30mph) through the Christmas market in the centre of Magdeburg on 20 December 2024.
They say the attack took place at 19:02 local time when the market was very crowded with Christmas revellers celebrating at the gingerbread and mulled wine stalls. It lasted just a minute and four seconds.
A nine-year-old boy and five women between the ages of 45 and 75 were killed. Around 300 others were injured.
Taleb Al-Abdulmohsen was arrested immediately after the incident.
Prosecutors said he planned the attack well in advance and had acted alone. They said he was not pursuing any serious ideological goals, but acted primarily out of personal motives.
"The defendant's sole concern was, and remains, himself," the Chief Public Prosecutor Matthias Böttcher said.
A psychiatric expert said the man had narcissistic personality disorder and an overwhelming need for attention.
Taleb Al-Abdulmohsen told the court he had been motivated to carry out the attack because of conflicts with the German authorities. He said he was angry that the rights of Saudi women were being ignored.
He said very little about the attack itself.
Taleb Al-Abdulmohsen was granted asylum in Germany in 2016. It is understood that he claimed to face the threat of persecution in Saudi Arabia, due to his criticism of Islam and the ruling family. The German Press Agency DPA said he came from Hofuf in Saudi Arabia, and is from the Shiite minority there.
Officials say he had a history of anti-Islamic rhetoric and far-right sympathies.
He has been described as critical of Islam and he also voiced support on social media for the far-right Alternative for Germany party, hailing the party for fighting the same enemy as him "to protect Germany".
Before the attack, he worked at a clinic in Bernburg, as a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy. He had been employed since 2020 in a secure psychiatric facility for people with addictions, but had most recently been registered as unfit for work.
He has the right to appeal against the verdict.
A temporary courthouse was erected in Magdeburg for his trial, because of the large number of victims.
Germany's Christmas markets and festivals have come under attack before, mainly from extreme Islamists.
At the time of the attack, officials said Taleb Al-Abdulmohsen was an "untypical" attacker.
Read the full story at BBC ↗ · Sky News ↗
On 20 December 2024, a man drove a rented BMW through Magdeburg's Christmas market at speeds up to 48km/h for 64 seconds Six people were killed: a nine-year-old boy and five women aged 45–75 Approximately 300 others were injured The defendant, Taleb Al-Abdulmohsen, is 51 years old and from Saudi Arabia He was granted asylum in Germany in 2016 Prosecutors concluded he planned the attack in advance and acted alone A psychiatric expert diagnosed him with narcissistic personality disorder Prosecutors stated his motivation was personal rather than ideologically serious The Chief Public Prosecutor characterised his sole concern as himself He told the court he was motivated by conflicts with German authorities and concerns about Saudi women's rights He had expressed far-right sympathies and support for Germany's Alternative for Germany party Officials described him as an 'untypical' attacker The court imposed the maximum sentence of life imprisonment He has the right to appeal
Read the full story at BBC ↗ · Sky News ↗
- A German court sentenced Taleb Al-Abdulmohsen, 51, to life imprisonment for driving a car through Magdeburg's Christmas market on 20 December 2024, killing six people and injuring around 300
- The defendant, a Saudi Arabian asylum-seeker granted residency in 2016, drove a BMW at up to 48km/h through crowded crowds for 64 seconds
- Prosecutors found he acted alone with personal rather than ideological motives, driven by conflicts with German authorities and narcissistic personality disorder
- Victims included a nine-year-old boy and five women aged 45–75
- He has the right to appeal