Media reports: Germany received warnings about Christmas market attack suspect
Media reports suggest that Riyadh cautioned Berlin regarding the extremist beliefs of the suspect in the Magdeburg attack and sought his extradition. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Saudi Arabia had reportedly sought the extradition of the alleged murderer but received no response.
The individual suspected of the violent incident at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, is a Saudi national named Taleb A. According to various media reports on Saturday, he had previous encounters with law enforcement. However, his home country's requests for extradition have reportedly gone unanswered.
Around a year ago, Saudi Arabia alerted German authorities about Taleb A., as reported by dpa, although the specifics of the warning were not immediately disclosed. The kingdom also sought the extradition of the 50-year-old doctor but received no feedback from Berlin, as noted by security sources in Saudi Arabia.
German security sources indicated that Saudi Arabia had repeatedly notified German authorities about the extremist views openly expressed by the suspect on Twitter, according to Reuters. Taleb A. is reported to be a radical anti-Islamist who has publicly renounced his religion.
Having lived in Germany since 2006, the suspect obtained protected status only in 2016. Prior to that, he faced legal issues in 2013 for “disturbance of public peace by threatening crimes,” according to Spiegel.
He was fined approximately €900, and concerns that he would be "immediately executed" upon return to his home country contributed to the decision to allow him to remain in Germany. This conviction did not seem to influence his asylum application.
On Friday evening, he allegedly drove into a crowd at the Christmas market in Magdeburg, resulting in at least five fatalities, including one child, and injuring around 200 others, with 41 individuals now reported to be in serious or critical condition.
As of Saturday, the motive for the attack remains unclear. However, Magdeburg Prosecutor Horst Nopens suggested that the assault could have stemmed from the suspect’s dissatisfaction with how Berlin manages Saudi refugees. The prosecution is now pursuing five counts of murder and over 200 counts of attempted murder against the attacker.
Thomas Evans contributed to this report for TROIB News
The individual suspected of the violent incident at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, is a Saudi national named Taleb A. According to various media reports on Saturday, he had previous encounters with law enforcement. However, his home country's requests for extradition have reportedly gone unanswered.
Around a year ago, Saudi Arabia alerted German authorities about Taleb A., as reported by dpa, although the specifics of the warning were not immediately disclosed. The kingdom also sought the extradition of the 50-year-old doctor but received no feedback from Berlin, as noted by security sources in Saudi Arabia.
German security sources indicated that Saudi Arabia had repeatedly notified German authorities about the extremist views openly expressed by the suspect on Twitter, according to Reuters. Taleb A. is reported to be a radical anti-Islamist who has publicly renounced his religion.
Having lived in Germany since 2006, the suspect obtained protected status only in 2016. Prior to that, he faced legal issues in 2013 for “disturbance of public peace by threatening crimes,” according to Spiegel.
He was fined approximately €900, and concerns that he would be "immediately executed" upon return to his home country contributed to the decision to allow him to remain in Germany. This conviction did not seem to influence his asylum application.
On Friday evening, he allegedly drove into a crowd at the Christmas market in Magdeburg, resulting in at least five fatalities, including one child, and injuring around 200 others, with 41 individuals now reported to be in serious or critical condition.
As of Saturday, the motive for the attack remains unclear. However, Magdeburg Prosecutor Horst Nopens suggested that the assault could have stemmed from the suspect’s dissatisfaction with how Berlin manages Saudi refugees. The prosecution is now pursuing five counts of murder and over 200 counts of attempted murder against the attacker.
Thomas Evans contributed to this report for TROIB News
