Saudi Arabia has condemned Saturday’s car crash at a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg that killed four people.
German authorities have arrested a Saudi man on suspicion of driving into a crowd, which not only killed but also injured several people.
In a statement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said the kingdom expresses its solidarity with the German people and the families of the victims.
The Kingdom reaffirms its position of rejecting violence, and expresses its sympathy and sincere condolences to the families of the victims, and to the government and people of Germany, and wishes the injured a speedy recovery, the statement said. does
A German publication, The Bild, reported that 41 people were seriously injured, 86 were hospitalized for serious injuries and another 78 suffered minor injuries.
German authorities are investigating a 50-year-old Saudi doctor, who has lived in Germany for nearly two decades, in connection with the car crash. The police searched his house throughout the night.
The motive is still unclear and police have not yet named the accused. His name has been revealed in the German media as Talib A.
Saudi Arabia warned German authorities about the attacker after he posted extremist views on his personal X account that threatened peace and security, a Saudi source told Reuters.
Der Spiegel reported that the suspect was sympathetic to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. The magazine did not say where it got the information.
Germany’s FAZ newspaper said it interviewed the suspect in 2019 and described him as an anti-Islam activist.
“People like me, who have an Islamic background but are no longer believers, have neither understanding nor tolerance towards Muslims here,” he said. “I am the most aggressive critic of Islam in history. If you don’t believe me, ask the Arabs.”
– with additional input from writers