Prosecutors allege that the driver responsible for the recent Magdeburg Christmas market incident had been formulating attack plans as early as 2023. According to a 206-page indictment filed by the Naumburg Public Prosecutor General’s Office, the 50-year-old Saudi Arabian national conducted reconnaissance of potential targets in Magdeburg’s city center between August and November of that year, reportedly including the local public prosecutor’s office.
The indictment details that these plans stemmed from a unfavorable ruling in a civil case he lost at the first instance. Following the verdict, the suspect, according to the indictment, stated in a letter written from custody, decided to attack the prosecutor’s office using gas cylinders. Investigators found he had rented a Seat SUV in preparation for a potential attack, but subsequently paused those plans.
The recent Christmas market attack, according to the indictment, was triggered by another unfavorable court decision. Like the previous year, the dispute centred on a conflict with a refugee aid organization, against which he had filed numerous criminal complaints and accusations over several years. The suspect reportedly described the court’s ruling against him as “unforgivable” in the letter from prison. Prosecutors believe the defendant intended to retaliate for this perceived personal grievance by indiscriminately targeting and killing victims.
