An entire country in shock. (6 p.m. GMT), a BMW car plowed into crowds at a Christmas market in the northeastern German city of Magdeburg on Friday evening, killing at least five people and more than 200 wounded. Coming to meditate on the scene with several ministers, Chancellor Olaf Scholz launched an appeal for national cohesion.
The alleged perpetrator, Taleb Jawad H. Al Abdulmohsen – a 50-year-old Saudi doctor who arrived in Germany in 2006 – was arrested shortly after the carnage next to the ram car. This one “ to act alone “, said the city prosecutor, Horst Walter Nopense, who “ excludes one or more complicities » If his motivations remain unclear, the man would have been “ unhappy » of the treatment of refugees from Saudi Arabia in the country, local authorities said on Saturday.
Far from being close to the jihadist movement, he had on the contrary made himself known for years through his frequent positions on social networks against Islam. He said he felt persecuted by denouncing the “ dangers » of an Islamization of Germany for which Berlin would be co-responsible. And had sympathized with positions of the far-right of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) or even Elon Musk.
Furthermore, the person concerned had denounced in August on his X account (formerly Twitter) “ Germany's crimes against Saudi refugees and obstruction of justice no matter how much evidence we present to them ».
In the afternoon, the local prosecutor clarified that the suspect should be placed in pre-trial detention following interrogations. The charge at this stage would be five murders and 205 attempted murders, he added.
« In the current state of the investigation it is not yet possible to categorize what happened at the Christmas market,” said the local police.
In this context, the German Chancellor declared that it was necessary “ precisely understand the author, his actions and his motivations and then draw the consequences on the judicial level “. The politician also promised “ to act against those who want to sow hatred “. He called on the Germans to “ stick together » after a “ terrible act », « fou » and a “ catastrophe » for the entire country, while the Afd has already seized on the attack to denounce the reception of foreigners and refugees in the country.
« When will this madness end? », wrote AfD co-president Alice Weidel on the
During the day, the toll worsened, going from 2 to 5 dead and more than 200 injured, also indicated the head of the regional government, Reiner Haseloff. But it is only very provisional because, according to Olaf Scholz, 40 people suffered injuries of such seriousness “ that we can be worried » about them.
Dressed in black, Olaf Scholz placed flowers on Saturday in front of the church, opposite the scene of the tragedy. Many anonymous people preceded him, leaving bouquets and candles, to bear witness to the fear which froze the country a few days before Christmas and in the middle of the electoral campaign.
The attack came eight years almost to the day after a similar act committed at a Berlin Christmas market. But as it stands, the authorities seem to rule out an Islamist act such as that committed in Berlin in 2016.
