Suspect in Germany market attack was involved in 7 prior cases — report

Taleb Al Abdulmohsen, the suspect in an attack on the Magdeburg Christmas market in Germany, has already been known to German authorities through various investigations, according to a media report.

Al Abdulmohsen appeared in seven investigations between April 2023 and October 2024, where he was the complainant in five and the accused in two, the DPA media reported on Saturday.

The report added that police started an investigation against him on December 1, 2023, after he criticised Germany on X for the treatment of asylum seekers from Saudi Arabia and issued threats.

Abdulmohsen was accused of threatening a lawyer who had previously represented him, as well as the lawyer's family and office staff, in another investigation. Police met with Abdulmohsen as part of a risk assessment.

It was noted that the assessment interview was conducted to inform him that he was being monitored and to ask him to refrain from certain behaviours.

It also said Abdulmohsen, who had been working in the department for addictive criminals at a hospital in Bernburg since 2020, was responsible for the psychiatric care of patients, and that although the risk assessment took place at the hospital where he was employed, there was no exchange of information between police and his employer.

Christmas market attack

Five people were killed and more than 200 injured on December 20 in a vehicle attack on a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg.

The 50-year-old Saudi-born psychiatrist, who has lived in Germany since 2006, was identified as the attacker.

Abdulmohsen, who was detained after the attack, was arrested on December 22.

He is described as being anti-Muslim and a supporter of the far-right and Zionism.