Magdeburg attack: Saudi suspect's asylum warning sparks probe
The German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) reported that in late summer 2023, they received a tip via social media regarding a person involved in the Magdeburg attack, according to the dpa agency. BAMF stated that, as with many other tips, they conducted a thorough investigation of the information provided with great seriousness.
The head of the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), Holger Muench, mentioned on ZDF that the BKA received a warning about a man from Saudi Arabia in November 2023. "Proceedings were also initiated here. The police in Saxony-Anhalt also took appropriate investigative measures," he noted.
Muench emphasized that the man "was not known for aggressive behavior." However, he announced that this would have to be reviewed again to ensure that the authorities did not overlook anything. "We are dealing with a completely atypical pattern here and need to calmly analyze it now," the head of the BKA stated.
The suspect, Taleb Abdul Jawad, is from Saudi Arabia and arrived in Germany in 2006. On social media and in interviews, he recently made accusations against German authorities, some of which were vaguely formulated. Among other things, he accused them of not doing enough to combat Islamism.
After publicly expressing his support for Saudi women fleeing their country, he later wrote on his website in English and Arabic: "My advice: don't ask for asylum in Germany," reported the dpa agency.
On Friday evening, a car driven by Jawad at high speed plowed into a crowd of people at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, eastern Germany. The attack resulted in the deaths of 5 people, while 200 were injured. The dpa agency, citing police sources, reported early Sunday morning that the 50-year-old is to be taken into custody. The motive for the perpetrator's actions could be dissatisfaction with how refugees from Saudi Arabia are treated in Germany, declared Magdeburg's chief prosecutor Horst Walter Nopens on Saturday.
