MAGDEBURG — Taleb al-Abdulmohsen was sentenced to life in prison on Friday, June 26, 2026, by a court in Magdeburg. He was convicted of murder and other charges for a car-ramming attack at a Christmas market in the city on December 20, 2024.

Six people died and hundreds were injured in the attack. The victims included five women, aged 45 to 75, and a nine-year-old boy. According to the German news agency dpa, the court determined that al-Abdulmohsen carries "particularly serious" guilt. This finding means he will not be eligible for release after 15 years.

Al-Abdulmohsen, a 51-year-old psychiatrist from Saudi Arabia, used a rented BMW X3 during the attack. The vehicle reached speeds of up to 48 kph (30 mph), and the incident lasted one minute and four seconds. Investigators stated that he was not under the influence of alcohol at the time and acted alone.

Prosecutors stated that al-Abdulmohsen planned the attack over several weeks. They also indicated that he acted out of dissatisfaction related to a civil law dispute and the unsuccessful outcomes of various criminal complaints. Al-Abdulmohsen arrived in Germany in 2006 and held permanent residency. He described himself as an ex-Muslim and voiced strong criticism of Islam. He also expressed support for the far right on social media.

Al-Abdulmohsen had previously drawn the attention of authorities for threatening behavior, although he was not known to have committed any violence before the attack. His trial commenced at the state court in Magdeburg in November 2025. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Prime Minister of Saxony-Anhalt Reiner Haseloff, and German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser visited the site of the attack on December 21, 2024.