A convicted attacker of the Magdeburg Christmas market is reported to have threatened the staff of the prison, insulted investigators and repeatedly caused disturbances. According to the “Welt am Sonntag” this information comes from security circles. The suspect, who had previously been incarcerated in the Justizvollzugsanstalt (JVA) in Dresden, is a Saudi Arabian doctor who was involved in the attack on December 20 last year, in which six people were killed and 327 were injured. In March of this year, the suspect allegedly wrote a letter in which he insulted employees of the JVA and threatened to seek revenge for what he perceived as poor treatment. Due to this letter, it was feared that an immediate attack on prison staff may occur, although it did not happen. In the letter, he also suggested that his hatred for German authorities was a motive for the attack. During interrogations, he has been uncooperative and refuses to contribute to the investigation. However, he is considered “fully responsible and capable of understanding.” The JVA Dresden spokesperson stated that “for reasons of personal rights of prisoners, no statements are made that concern personal data of prisoners.”
Currently, the 50-year-old doctor, who worked as a psychiatrist in the Maßregelvollzug Bernburg, is incarcerated in the JVA Leipzig. He has been repeatedly transferred to Leipzig due to his refusal to eat, resulting in his weakening. Leipzig’s prison has a hospital where he can receive medical treatment.
The justice system in Sachsen-Anhalt is currently intensely engaged in organizing and securing the trial against the attacker. A task force is assisting the Landgericht Magdeburg, before which the attacker will be charged. No other attack in the history of the Federal Republic has resulted in so many victims as the one in Magdeburg. More than 100 co-plaintiffs are expected. “The justice system must ensure comprehensive safety for all parties involved in the trial, including the defendant. I am not aware of any building in Saxony-Anhalt that would be suitable for a trial of this unprecedented size in German legal history” said Klaus Tewes, spokesperson for the Generalstaatsanwaltschaft Naumburg, to the “Welt am Sonntag.” According to information from the newspaper, a prefabricated hall on a secure site, such as a Bundeswehr barracks or an area of the police emergency service, is currently favored.
The Generalstaatsanwaltschaft has also commissioned the university-based Institute for Legal Medicine in Saxony-Anhalt to examine the injuries of victims who were hospitalized for at least 24 hours. The aim is to document the severity of the injuries. Some of the victims are still unable to be questioned. Meanwhile, 57 complaints have been filed against officials of the city of Magdeburg, the operators of the Christmas market and several politicians. Charges of negligent homicide and negligent bodily injury are among the accusations. “Regardless of the number of complaints, we will already inquire about the guilt of those involved. Our top priority is to uncover the motive behind the attack” said Oberstaatsanwalt Tewes. He believes that the suspect may be capable of culpability.