Nearly eleven months after the fatal journey from Magdeburg, proceedings against the alleged perpetrator have been opened. Taleb A. admitted that he had been behind the wheel of the car, but his statements remain confusing. He showed no remorse.
About a year after the attack on the Magdeburg Christmas market that left six people dead and more than 300 injured, the trial of alleged perpetrator Taleb A. has opened. The defendant followed the Public Prosecutor’s presentation from the glass room without any visible emotion.
However, in his statement lasting approximately one and a half hours, which will continue on Tuesday, he admitted in Magdeburg regional court: “I was the one who was driving the car.” He initially did not provide further specific information. No apology and no sign of regret.
The judge reprimanded the defendant
Additionally, he did not comment on the allegations, but spoke in sometimes confusing terms and without context about politicians, violence against women in his village in Saudi Arabia, hatred of religion, and he berated the police and the media.
He raised his laptop again which said “September 2026.” “There are the next political elections in Saxony-Anhalt,” explained the man from Saudi Arabia who is a known critic of Islam. A new state parliament will be elected in Saxony-Anhalt on 6 September 2026.
The chief judge, Dirk Sternberg, tried to stop the political statements. He warned the accused to comment on the matter. Those affected by the death march, who emerged as plaintiffs early in the trial, sometimes appeared shocked. Some turned away, some shook their heads.
Prosecutors talk about “malicious attacks”
On December 20, 2024, Taleb A., then 50 years old, drove through the crowds at the Magdeburg Christmas market in a 340 hp rental car. According to the Naumburg Prosecutor General’s Office, the journey took one minute and four seconds.
According to the indictment, the man killed a nine-year-old boy and five women aged between 45 and 75. 309 people were injured, 29 of whom were not physically injured. However, the charges against them were also based on attempted murder. Based on the results of the investigation, he planned and prepared the crime in detail for several weeks.
The prosecutor’s office spoke of a malicious attack with indecent motives. The defendant essentially acted “out of humiliation and frustration” at the outcome of the court case and the failure of his own criminal prosecution, said senior public prosecutor Matthias Böttcher. Taleb A. arbitrarily sought victims to draw attention to “the injustice he felt,” Böttcher said.
The building was secured several times
The defendant, who works as a doctor in the penitentiary system with mentally ill criminals, was transported by helicopter from Burg prison to Magdeburg in the morning. The case against him was one of the biggest cases in post-war history.
Due to the large number of people involved in the trial and media representation, the regional court rented a light room for the trial. However, many seats for the more than 170 alleged plaintiffs remained empty at the start of the trial, and rows of spectators were only half full.
The building is surrounded by a barbed wire fence and is also protected by moving posts. One hundred police officers were on duty, and justice officials from Saxony-Anhalt also secured the start of the trial, according to information from the dpa news agency.
There are no approvals for this year Christmas market
Meanwhile, the Mayor of Magdeburg announced that the organizers of this year’s Christmas market will not receive any approval for now. Borris informed the city council about this in a special meeting in the evening, as announced by the city government.
The state administration office criticized the security concept and instructed the city government not to approve this concept. According to the state administration office, organizers created “potential attack targets” with the market. However, no justification was provided regarding the basis for this new assessment, Borris said.
