Saudi doctor given life sentence for deadly car rampage on German Christmas market

Suspect Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, a doctor from Saudi Arabia who faces charges of murder, attempted murder and dangerous interference with road traffic, is escorted by security officers as he attends his trial for the Magdeburg Christmas market attack, at a regional court in Magdeburg, Germany, June 26, 2026. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

MAGDEBURG, Germany, June 26 (Reuters) - ⁠A Saudi doctor was sentenced to life in prison in Germany on Friday for killing six people and injuring hundreds, after he rammed a ⁠rented BMW into crowds at a historic market in the eastern city of Magdeburg days before Christmas in 2024.

The defendant, identified as ‌Taleb A. in accordance with German privacy laws, was a psychiatrist originally from Saudi Arabia, described by officials as having a history of anti-Islamic rhetoric and far-right sympathies.