Magdeburg Christmas market vehicle attack trial proceeds in Germany

The trial of Taleb Al‑Abdulmohsen, a 51‑year‑old Saudi psychiatrist, continues at the Landgericht Magdeburg under heightened security. He is accused of driving a heavy truck into the city’s Christmas market on 20 December 2024, killing five women and a nine‑year‑old boy and wounding more than 300 people. The proceedings have included the reading of medical reports documenting the lasting injuries of victims, and side‑victims are preparing to give statements. The court must also decide on numerous adhesion requests from over 200 secondary plaintiffs seeking compensation, as well as the prosecution’s and defence’s evidentiary motions. The final pleas are expected to take several days, with the Generalstaatsanwaltschaft’s closing statements pending.

Security measures have been extensive: five masked judicial special forces intervened when the defendant shouted and refused to calm down, temporarily removing him from the courtroom. The trial, which began on 10 November 2025, is being held in a specially erected interim building due to the case’s high profile and the large number of victims.