Because Germany mourns the death of at least five people after a a vehicle deliberately plowed into a crowded Christmas marketauthorities are working to identify the suspect behind the attack.
The suspect – identified by local media as 50-year-old Taleb A. – had lived and worked as a psychiatrist and psychotherapist in Germany for two decades, authorities said.
Originally from Saudi Arabia, Taleb arrived in Germany in 2006 and was recognized as a refugee in 2016, CBS News partner The BBC reported. He worked at the Salus-Fachklinikum Bernburg, a specialist clinic in Bernburg, about 25 miles south of Magdeburg.
In the Instagram post On Saturday, the clinic said it was “surprised to find out that the person who committed the crime worked as a special doctor in our rape in Bernburg. They said Taleb had been working at the company since March 2020 but had not worked since October 2024 due to illness and vacation.
“We have been supporting the work of the investigative authorities in every possible way since the late hours,” and they are “surprised and shocked by the terrible attack.” “
Saudi source told Reuters that Saudi Arabia had warned the German authorities about the attacker after he posted extremist comments on his personal X account that threatened peace and security.
Taleb's X account is filled with reshared posts and articles focusing on anti-Islamic themes and criticism of the religion while sharing congratulatory notes on Muslims who have left the religion. He also said that he was a Muslim before.
He criticized the German authorities, saying they had not done enough to fight “European Islamism.”
He has also shown support for the far-right and anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
Michael Probst / AP
FAZ newspaper in Germany he said he interviewed the suspect in 2019 and described him as an anti-Islam activist.
“People like me, who have an Islamic background but no longer believe, are met with understanding or tolerance by Muslims here,” he said. “I am the most aggressive critic in history of Islam. If you don't believe me, ask the Arabs.”
German terrorism expert Peter Neumann posted on X that he had yet to come across a suspect in an act of mass violence with that profile.
Neumann, the terrorism expert, wrote: “After 25 years in this 'business', you don't think anything surprises you anymore.” for his tolerance of Islamists – that wasn't really on my radar.”
Some described Taleb as an activist who helped Saudi women flee their homeland. Recently, he seemed to focus on his theory that German authorities have been targeting Saudi asylum seekers.
Ebrahim Noorozi / AP
On Saturday, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told reporters: “At this stage, we cannot say with certainty that the perpetrator was obviously Islamophobic – we can prove that. Everything else is a matter for further investigation and we have to wait.”
A Germany-based group called Atheist Refugee Relief said the alleged assailant was not part of the group and said he had made “numerous accusations and accusations” against it and the former board members, who they said it was fake.
“We disassociate ourselves from him in the strongest terms,” the group said in a statement on its website, adding that members of Atheist Refugee Relief filed a criminal complaint against him in 2019 after “the most vile and verbal attacks.”
Taleb was arrested at the scene after he plowed a black BMW into a Christmas market full of holiday shoppers on Friday night in Magdeburg, killing at least five people and injuring around 200 others .
