Man who rammed car into crowd in Germany is 'ex-Muslim' doctor wanted in Saudi

German police arrested a 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia who they believe rammed a car into a bustling Christmas market in Magdeburg, which killed two people and left 68 others injured. According to his social media profile, Taleb A, the suspect, is an ex-Muslim, a harsh critic of Islam, and supports Alternative for Germany (AfD), a far-right German political party, which has an anti-immigration stance.

Taleb has been living in Germany since 2006 and is a resident of the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, where Magdeburg is located, regional premier Reiner Haseloff said. Taleb was a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy and that he acted alone in the attack. According to German media, he was believed to have rented a BMW which he used in the attack.

Taleb was born in the Saudi Arabian city of Hofuf in 1974 and secured a permanent residence permit for Germany in 2006. He was recognised as a refugee in 2016. According to BBC, he was incapable of expressing his atheist thoughts and views in Saudi Arabia, a country where only Islam is the sole religion recognised under law.

After he moved to Germany, the suspect set up a website called wearesaudi.net to help ex-Muslims fleeing the Gulf and create an information resource for others to do the same, BBC reported.

According to reports, Taleb is wanted by Saudi Arabia on charges related to terrorism and smuggling girls from the Middle East to EU countries. However, Germany has refused to extradite him to Saudi Arabia and granted him asylum despite the charges against him.

'LONE WOLF ATTACKER'

Speaking about the attack and Taleb's arrest on Friday, premier Haseloff said, "We have arrested the perpetrator, a man from Saudi Arabia, a doctor who has been in Germany since 2006. From what we currently know, he was a lone attacker, so we don't think there is any further danger."

CCTV footage showed a black BMW driving through the Christmas market for over 400 metres, striking several people just after 7 pm (local time) on Friday.

Another video showed the suspect's arrest, with police aiming their handguns and shouting, "Lie down, hands on your back, don't move!" at the bearded man wearing glasses, who was lying on the ground next to the heavily damaged vehicle.

GERMAN CHANCELLOR, OTHERS CONDEMN ATTACK

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned the attack and wrote, "My thoughts are with the victims and their families. We stand by their side and by the side of the people of Magdeburg. My thanks go to the dedicated rescue workers in these anxious hours."

He was expected to travel to the spot in Magdeburg on Saturday, premier Haseloff said.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier wrote that "the anticipation of a peaceful Christmas was suddenly interrupted" in the attack and said that "the background to the terrible deed was not yet clarified".

Domestic security service, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, had put out a warning that Christmas markets appeared to be "ideologically suitable targets for Islamist-motivated people".

Alice Weidel, the leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany, condemned the attack and questioned "when will this madness stop".

In a statement on X, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry expressed "solidarity with the German people and the families of the victims", and "affirmed its rejection of violence".

"The Kingdom affirms its position in rejecting violence, and expresses its sympathy and sincere condolences to the families of the victims, and to the government and people of the Federal Republic of Germany, wishing the injured a speedy recovery," the ministry said in a statement.

(with inputs from AFP)