Saudi doctor arrested after deadly Christmas market attack in Germany's Magdeburg
Taleb, who has been living in Germany since 2006, is a former psychiatrist and psychotherapist.
WORLD
A 50-year-old Saudi Arabian doctor, identified as Taleb A., was arrested on Friday after a deadly attack at a bustling Christmas market in Magdeburg. The incident, which authorities are treating as a terror attack, left two people dead and 68 others injured when Taleb drove a black BMW through the crowded market, plowing into pedestrians.
Taleb, who has been living in Germany since 2006, is a former psychiatrist and psychotherapist. According to German officials, he acted alone during the attack. Regional premier Reiner Haseloff confirmed that Taleb had rented the vehicle used in the assault. CCTV footage showed the car traveling more than 400 meters through the market, hitting several people before coming to a halt.
Born in Hofuf, Saudi Arabia, in 1974, Taleb had secured permanent residence in Germany in 2006 and was granted refugee status in 2016. He was a vocal critic of Islam and an advocate for ex-Muslims, running a website called wearesaudi.net aimed at helping people flee Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. Taleb had been wanted in his home country on charges of terrorism and smuggling girls into EU nations but was granted asylum by Germany despite these allegations.
Authorities are calling the attack an isolated incident, with no immediate threat to the public. "We have arrested the perpetrator, a man from Saudi Arabia, a doctor who has been in Germany since 2006," Haseloff said. "From what we know, he was a lone attacker, so we don't think there is any further danger."
The attack, which occurred just after 7 p.m. local time, sent shockwaves through the country, with leaders expressing their condolences. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned the attack, stating, "My thoughts are with the victims and their families. We stand by their side and by the side of the people of Magdeburg." President Frank-Walter Steinmeier echoed these sentiments, saying the anticipation of a peaceful Christmas was "suddenly interrupted."
The attack has also sparked reactions from political leaders, including Alice Weidel, leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), who condemned the violence and called for an end to what she described as "madness." Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry also expressed solidarity with Germany, rejecting violence and offering condolences to the victims' families.