7 hr 42 min ago
Photo emerges of suspect, who is named by US-based activist group as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen
From CNN staff
Reuters news agency released this image of the suspect, Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, sourcing it from a US-based activist group called RAIR Foundation USA.
RAIR Foundation/Reuters
A photograph has emerged of a man identified as the suspect in an attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, which killed at least five people and injured more than 200 on Friday.
The Reuters news agency released the image of the suspect, Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, sourcing it from a US-based activist group RAIR Foundation USA.
The suspect has not been formally identified by authorities, but German media has named him as Taleb A.
RAIR Foundation USA says it previously conducted an interview with al-Abdulmohsen on December 12.
The statement from RAIR Foundation USA, shared by Reuters, said al-Abdulmohsen had presented himself as someone assisting “ex-Muslim refugees fleeing persecution from Saudi Arabia.”
RAIR Foundation describes itself as a grassroots, activist organization, “leading a movement to reclaim our Republic from the network of individuals and organizations waging war on Americans, our Constitution, our borders and our Judeo-Christian values.”
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9-year-old among 5 dead in Christmas market attack; suspect appeared to express anti-Islamic views
From CNN staff
A police officer walks through the shuttered Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, on December 21.
A police officer walks through the shuttered Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, on December 21.
Omer Messinger/Getty Images
A nine-year-old child is among the five people who died in a car-ramming in a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg on Friday, according to officials.
Authorities have arrested a suspect, a 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia, who is thought to have been a former Muslim who renounced his faith and became increasingly anti-Islam.
The deadly incident comes less than two months before the country heads to the polls for snap elections, as debate over Germany’s migration policy rages.
Here’s what you need to know:
Five dead: At least five people died in the attack, including a 9-year-old child, Magdeburg city official Ronni Krug said in a media address on Saturday. Chancellor Olaf Scholz confirmed over 200 injured, including around 40 with such severe injuries that they remain “very worried” about them. Scholz described the figure as “unbelievable.”
Suspect’s identity: German media reported the suspect’s name as “Taleb A.” — following the German convention of withholding the full name of suspects in criminal cases. Horst Walter Nopens, head of the Magdeburg Public Prosecutor’s office confirmed that first name. Reuters, meanwhile, released an image of the suspect and identified him as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, sourcing his full name and image from the US-based activist group RAIR Foundation USA.
Anti-Islamic sentiments: A motive for the attack is still to be determined. Nopens said during Saturday’s media briefing that the suspect may have been unhappy with Germany’s treatment of Saudi Arabian refugees. On social media, he appeared to have expressed anti-Islam views and support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). He’s believed to have worked to help Saudis, especially women, leave his home country. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser described him as an “Islamophobe.”
Surprising profile: A prominent German terror expert has expressed surprise at the suspect’s profile. “After 25 years in this ‘business,’ you think nothing could surprise you anymore. But a 50-year-old Saudi ex-Muslim who lives in East Germany, loves the AfD (Alternative for Germany) and wants to punish Germany for its tolerance towards Islamists — that really wasn’t on my radar,” expert Peter Neumann said.
Saudi warnings: Saudi Arabia sent multiple warnings to German authorities about the suspect, two sources with knowledge of the communication told CNN. A source said all of the warnings were ignored. Saudi Arabia considers him a fugitive and requested his extradition from Germany between 2007 and 2008, a source said, adding that German authorities refused, citing concerns for the man’s safety should he return. Saudi authorities alleged that the man had harassed Saudis abroad who opposed his political views.
Scholz visits Magdeburg: Scholz traveled to the site of the Christmas market attack on Saturday, where he met with locals and paid tribute to victims by laying flowers. Speaking during the media briefing, he called the attack “awful” and stressed that Germans must “stick together as a country and not let hatred divide us.”
Bolstered security: Berlin is increasing the police presence at the city’s Christmas markets following the attack. “The security authorities are in close contact with each other. As a precaution, the Berlin police will increase their presence at the city’s Christmas markets,” the city’s Interior Minister Iris Spranger said. The Magdeburg market has now been shut down.
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9-year-old among 5 dead in Christmas market attack; suspect appeared to express anti-Islamic views
From CNN staff
A police officer walks through the shuttered Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, on December 21.
Omer Messinger/Getty Images
A nine-year-old child is among the five people who died in a car-ramming in a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg on Friday, according to officials.
Authorities have arrested a suspect, a 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia, who is thought to have been a former Muslim who renounced his faith and became increasingly anti-Islam.
The deadly incident comes less than two months before the country heads to the polls for snap elections, as debate over Germany’s migration policy rages.
Here’s what you need to know:
Five dead: At least five people died in the attack, including a 9-year-old child, Magdeburg city official Ronni Krug said in a media address on Saturday. Chancellor Olaf Scholz confirmed over 200 injured, including around 40 with such severe injuries that they remain “very worried” about them. Scholz described the figure as “unbelievable.”
Suspect’s identity: German media reported the suspect’s name as “Taleb A.” — following the German convention of withholding the full name of suspects in criminal cases. Horst Walter Nopens, head of the Magdeburg Public Prosecutor’s office confirmed that first name. Reuters, meanwhile, released an image of the suspect and identified him as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, sourcing his full name and image from the US-based activist group RAIR Foundation USA.
Anti-Islamic sentiments: A motive for the attack is still to be determined. Nopens said during Saturday’s media briefing that the suspect may have been unhappy with Germany’s treatment of Saudi Arabian refugees. On social media, he appeared to have expressed anti-Islam views and support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). He’s believed to have worked to help Saudis, especially women, leave his home country. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser described him as an “Islamophobe.”
Surprising profile: A prominent German terror expert has expressed surprise at the suspect’s profile. “After 25 years in this ‘business,’ you think nothing could surprise you anymore. But a 50-year-old Saudi ex-Muslim who lives in East Germany, loves the AfD (Alternative for Germany) and wants to punish Germany for its tolerance towards Islamists — that really wasn’t on my radar,” expert Peter Neumann said.
Saudi warnings: Saudi Arabia sent multiple warnings to German authorities about the suspect, two sources with knowledge of the communication told CNN. A source said all of the warnings were ignored. Saudi Arabia considers him a fugitive and requested his extradition from Germany between 2007 and 2008, a source said, adding that German authorities refused, citing concerns for the man’s safety should he return. Saudi authorities alleged that the man had harassed Saudis abroad who opposed his political views.
Scholz visits Magdeburg: Scholz traveled to the site of the Christmas market attack on Saturday, where he met with locals and paid tribute to victims by laying flowers. Speaking during the media briefing, he called the attack “awful” and stressed that Germans must “stick together as a country and not let hatred divide us.”
Bolstered security: Berlin is increasing the police presence at the city’s Christmas markets following the attack. “The security authorities are in close contact with each other. As a precaution, the Berlin police will increase their presence at the city’s Christmas markets,” the city’s Interior Minister Iris Spranger said. The Magdeburg market has now been shut down.