Far-right AfD holds rally as Magdeburg mourns victims

Market attack was carried out by an Islamist full of hatred for us Germans, for us Christians’, co-leader tells gathering

- ALASTAIR JAMIESON

Mourners laid flowers yesterday near the scene of the deadly Christmas market attack, as investigators puzzled over the motive of the suspect and his previous encounters with authorities were scrutinised.

The Johanniskirche, a church a short walk from the scene of the attack, has become a place of mourning since the suspect drove a car into the busy market on Friday evening killing five people. A carpet of flowers now covers the broad pavement in front of the church.

The number of injured has risen to as many as 235.

The suspect, identified as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen by German media, is a 50-year-old psychiatrist from Saudi Arabia. He is said to have a history of anti-Islamic rhetoric and to have sympathy with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

He left video messages on his X (Twitter) account on the day of the attack. In rambling commentary, he variously blamed Germany’s supposed liberalism for the death of Socrates, an ancient Greek philosopher, and accused police of stealing a USB stick from him and destroying a criminal complaint he had filed.