The suspect behind the deadly Christmas market attack in Magdeburg, Germany, is identified as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, a Saudi atheist and activist. The attack, which killed five people and injured over 200, occurred when Abdulmohsen used a BMW to ram into the market crowd. The victims included a toddler. German authorities arrested him at gunpoint.
Abdulmohsen, a psychiatrist and psychotherapist originally from Hofuf in eastern Saudi Arabia, moved to Germany in 2006 and was granted refugee status in 2016. An outspoken critic of Islam, he advocated for ex-Muslims, especially women, helping them flee Saudi Arabia. On social media, Abdulmohsen described himself as a “Saudi military opposition” and leveled harsh accusations against Germany. He claimed the country was persecuting female Saudi asylum seekers and sought to “Islamize Europe.”
Known for his provocative views, Abdulmohsen ran a Twitter account titled “Saudi Ex-Muslims,” where he expressed support for far-right figures such as Tommy Robinson, Germany’s AfD party, and Elon Musk, who has recently promoted anti-immigrant rhetoric. He also expressed sympathy for Israel and shared content from Israeli military spokespeople.
Abdulmohsen’s social media activity included a video depicting the stoning of a woman, which he described as indicative of Islamic law. While the authenticity of the video could not be independently verified, it was emblematic of his anti-Islam stance.
Before the attack, Abdulmohsen had granted interviews to both international media and right-wing platforms, presenting himself as a human rights advocate. A 2017 interview with The New Arab and a 2019 BBC interview reflected his opposition to Islamic law and his criticism of Germany’s asylum policies. He had moved to Germany initially for psychotherapy training and applied for asylum after reportedly facing death threats in Saudi Arabia for leaving Islam.
Five days before the attack, he gave an interview in which he criticized Germany’s treatment of Syrian refugees, accusing the country of welcoming Islamists while rejecting Saudi apostates.
