A man suspected of attacking a Christmas market in Germany and running over hundreds of people faces murder and attempted murder charges, police said Sunday.
At least five people died and more than 200 were injured.
Police in the city of Magdeburg, where the attack took place on Friday (20), also reported fights at a far-right demonstration attended by around 2,100 people on Saturday night (21), while other residents participated in
The suspect is a 50-year-old man from Saudi Arabia who has lived in Germany for almost two decades.
A magistrate ordered the suspect, identified in German media as Taleb A., after prosecutors brought charges of murder, multiple counts of attempted murder and grievous bodily harm, according to a police statement.
He identified the four adult women, aged 52, 45, 75 and 67.
Demonstrations in Germany
Police reported fights at a protest attended by about 2,100 people on Saturday night, the day after the attack. Protesters announced the protest on the Telegram messaging app as a “demonstration against terror”.
People wearing black balaclavas could be seen holding a large banner with the word “remigration,” a popular term among far-right supporters seeking the mass deportation of migrants and people considered non-ethnically German.
The motive for Friday night’s attack remains unclear. Investigators are looking into the suspect’s criticism of German authorities’ treatment of Saudi refugees, among other things.
He was also an outspoken critic of Islam and expressed support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party on the social media platform X.
