Who is the Saudi-born suspect behind Germany Christmas market attack?

A 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia, who has been living in Germany since 2006, is the prime suspect in the Christmas market attack in Magdeburg, which killed five people

German police arrested a 50-year-old Saudi immigrant doctor for the deadly Christmas market attack in Magdeburg on December 20. The man claims himself to be an ex-Muslim and his social media activity shows his leaning towards far-right in Germany.

 

On December 20, a speeding car rammed into crowds at a Christmas market in Saxony-Anhalt state's Magdeburg, leaving at least five people dead and nearly 200 injured. The same evening, state premier Reiner Haseloff said the suspect was a 50-year-old man from Saudi Arabia who had been living in Germany since 2006 and had likely acted alone.

 

While Haseloff did not name the suspect, the German media identified the man as Taleb A and and reported that he was a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy. According to a report in DW, Taleb was practicing in Bernburg, about 40 kilometers south of Magdeburg, where the attack happened.

 

Who is Taleb A?

 

According to the report, Taleb was born in the Saudi Arabian city of Hofuf in 1974. He secured a permanent residence permit for Germany in 2006.

 

Raised as a Muslim, Taleb left his religion and became a staunch critic of Islam, especially the practices followed in his birth country. He has a sizeable social media presence with over 48,000 followers on X where he often shares content critical to Islamic practices.

 

Promoting radicalism on social media

 

While criticising the strict doctrines of Islam, Taleb himself veered into promoting hate content on social media. Speaking to the media about the December 20 incident, Germany's Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said it was "clear to see" that the suspect holds "Islamophobic" views.

 

On his X account, Taleb promoted conspiracy theories regarding an alleged plot by German authorities to "Islamise Europe". He has also voiced support for the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD).

 

Critic of Germany's migration policy

 

After moving to Germany, Taleb set up a website called wearesaudis.net, which serves as a guide to help other ex-Muslims and government dissidents willing to leave Saudi Arabia and other Middle East nations. He also gave an interview to the BBC in 2022, where he claimed he was often approached by younger Saudi women trying to escape their families.

 

However, he became critical of Germany's migration policy, claiming it had allowed "too many Muslims" into the country and blamed Angela Merkel, Germany's former chancellor, for the same. 

 

"I have to admit that I was deceived by western Leftists," he wrote in a post on X. "I thought they welcome refugees because they care for human rights. But my experience in Germany showed me that they welcome refugees because they want to Islamise Europe."

 

On his X account, Taleb claimed he had evidence of German authorities committing "a series of deliberate crimes against Saudi refugees." 

 

"I assure you that if Germany wants a war, we will fight it," he wrote in one post. "If Germany wants to kill us, we will slaughter them, die, or go to prison with pride."  (With inputs from agencies)