Abdul Ballout buried under police guard as investigators uncover second phone

Abdul Ballout, the suspected perpetrator of the Christopher Street Day attack in Berlin, was interred on the Gatow cemetery in Spandau under the protection of about 190 police officers. The ceremony was limited to close family, with authorities preventing journalists, onlookers and other spectators from entering the site.

Following the burial, a special digital session of the Bundestag's interior committee was convened. Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution president Sinan Selen and Federal Criminal Police Office president Holger Münch were questioned about why Ballout, classified as a high‑risk extremist, was not more closely monitored before the attack.

Investigators disclosed that a second mobile phone, also recovered from the van used in the attack, is now being examined by the BKA. The discovery, along with vehicle movement data showing a zig‑zag route and witness reports of another individual at the scene, has revived speculation that Ballout may have acted with assistance. The weapon used in the assault remains missing, and police continue to search for further evidence.