Taleb Al Abdulmohsen, who publicly identified himself as a former Muslim and critic of Islam, is being held as a suspect for the deadly car attack that left five people dead and approximately 200 injured.

The 50-year-old psychiatrist is an ex-Muslim supporter of far-right personalities, including Germany’s AfD party and expressed sympathy with ‘Greater Israel, according to his social media posts.

Al Abdulmohsen, who arrived in Germany in 2006 from Saudi Arabia, has been ordered into pre-trial detention, facing serious charges, including murder, attempted murder, and dangerous bodily harm.

Questions about prior warning signs have emerged, with German media reporting that authorities had conducted a threat assessment of the suspect approximately one year ago.

Atheist and Islamophobe

An atheist, Al Abdulmohsen was known for operating a website dedicated to assisting former Muslims leave Gulf countries. Five years ago, his work was even highlighted in a BBC interview.

Social media attributed to him reportedly expressed threatening Islamophobic sentiment and conspiracy theories commonly propagated by far-right personalities. 

These claims will be subject to verification by investigating authorities.

His activity allegedly included support for far-right anti-Muslim politicians such as Geert Wilders, the AfD in Germany and the UK’s Tommy Robinson.

“Germany wants to Islamize Europe,” he posted on social media, expressing “concerns about the rise of Islam in Germany.”

He also wrote in June that German police used “dirty tactics” against him and other critics of Islam to “destroy their anti-Islam activism.”

Al Abdulmohsen has also shared messages or followed notorious ex-Muslim personalities who amplify the far right and propagate the incendiary ‘clash of civilisation’ narrative. 

Germany criticises Elon Musk and X

The incident has sparked broader discussions about social media monitoring and content moderation.

German Ambassador to the UK Miguel Berger has raised concerns about platform policies, particularly Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter).

“We have seen that the man who committed this terrible attack was extremely active, threatening on X. The question is, ‘does X really act against these things?’,” Ambassador Miguel Berger told BBC Radio 4’s Broadcasting House programme on Sunday.

“We have a Digital Safety Act in the European Union which requires social media to act […]. It has not happened,” he said.

On the morning before the attack, Musk made a post on X endorsing the AfD, sparking widespread condemnation. Meanwhile, adding to the mystery, reports say the suspect’s social media comments showed support for Musk himself.  

Musk’s own account called for Chancellor Olaf Scholz to resign, and he shared several posts critical of the German government not acting on threats made by the suspect on social media.

Germany’s Christmas markets

German authorities confirmed that a black BMW tore through the traditional market in Magdeburg’s central town hall square on Friday evening.

Police reports indicate the vehicle travelled at least 400 metres across the Christmas market, leaving a trail of destruction, debris, and broken glass.

Eyewitness accounts describe harrowing scenes as the incident unfolded, with footage showing people fleeing for safety and distressed children. First responders attended to injured individuals scattered across the market square.

The attack has particularly resonant timing, occurring during Germany’s Christmas market season. These traditional markets typically draw large crowds of shoppers and festive attractions.