According to reporting by Spiegel, which references an internal government memo, the alleged perpetrator of the CSD attack was visited in prison by staff members of the German Embassy in Beirut during the summer of 2025. A Federal Criminal Police Office liaison officer was also reportedly present during this visitation while the suspect was in custody.
At that time, the suspect denied any terror plans, stating only to have “admiration and empathy” for the Islamic State (IS). This stance was allegedly repeated later before a military court. The report indicates that he claimed to have viewed the terrorist militia’s videos merely out of interest and felt “pity” for their fighters.
Furthermore, the documentation revealed that the alleged attacker complained about the poor conditions of his detention in Lebanon. He stated that he was housed with other inmates in a cell only six square meters in size, receiving showers and changing clothes only every four days. He also reported repeatedly refusing food.
In October 2025, the Lebanese military court sentenced him to three months in prison for “incitement to religious conflict.” Spiegel also noted that a female staff member of the German Embassy was present during this trial. Previously, however, the German diplomatic mission in Beirut had informed them that the potential sentence was reportedly much higher, ranging from three to five years for “terrorist financing.”
The suspect was subsequently released and, according to Spiegel, his father brought him back to Berlin from Lebanon. He was then arrested by police at the airport in November 2025. The Tiergarten District Court later sentenced him to a juvenile sentence of one year and ten months, to be served probationally.
Last Saturday, the suspect is reported to have rented a van and driven into a crowd at the edge of the CSD in Tiergarten. One woman died, and 31 other people were injured. Authorities have since confirmed the suspect as the perpetrator. Investigators found his DNA traces and his mobile phone in the vehicle. On the phone, there was a video featuring an oath of allegiance to the IS.
