Saudi Psychiatrist Sentenced to Life for Deadly Magdeburg Christmas Market Attack

Magdeburg's Regional Court has found a 51-year-old psychiatrist from Saudi Arabia guilty of murder for driving a rental car into a crowd at the Christmas market in the eastern city in 2024.

The judge sentenced the defendant to life in prison and said that the German equivalent of a first-degree murder charge in the US — known in German as particular severity of guilt — had been established. This makes the possibilty of early parole less likely.

The verdict can still be appealed.

In addition to six counts of murder, the man was convicted of multlple cases of attempted murder and aggravated bodily harm.

What happened in the attack?

The attack on December 20, 2024 killed five women and a 9-year-old boy, with more than 300 sustaining injuries.

The man was arrested behind the wheel of the rented BMW at the scene immediately after the attack.

The attack was one of a several targeting Christmas markets in Germany or Europe in recent years, and led to further intensified security measures.

The man was able to circumvent the existing security cordon and gain access to the market with his vehicle.

The attack was also one of several which took place close to Germany's 2025 federal elections that pushed issues surrounding migration to the forefront of the campaign.

What do we know about the motive?

The attacker had been granted asylum in Germany in 2006 and was a staunch critic of the Saudi government's political and religious persecution.

He had clashed with German authorities on multiple occasions. Highly critical of Islam, he had expressed support for the far-right online and portrayed himself as an activist for the rights of Saudi women.

Prosecutors said they believed he had acted out of dissatisfaction with several defeats in civil and criminal lawsuits. They said they believed he had acted alone.

"The defendant was and is only concerned with himself," prosecutors alleged.

The defendant's own testimony in court was often not particularly cogent. For instance, he had admitted to driving the car through the Christmas market but simultaneously denied deliberately running people over — a position prosecutors said was preposterous.

A psychiatric expert diagnosed the accused with narcissistic personality disorder, but found that he was still fully criminally responsible and remained dangerous.

Edited by: Darko Janjevic