The perpetrator of the Magdeburg Christmas market attack has communicated with media outlets via a recently surfaced letter. According to reports from “Der Spiegel”, a ten-page handwritten communication was received in early August, with the Naumburg General Public Prosecutor’s Office confirming its authenticity and acknowledging that similar correspondence was dispatched to other news organizations. This follows a pattern of contact, as the individual had previously engaged directly with victims and investigators through letters.
The communication, written in both German and English, contains disjointed and seemingly unfounded claims relating to a network of former Muslims, German politics and ongoing investigations concerning the perpetrator. Five pages consist of Arabic-language poetry, described as melancholic in tone and purportedly authored by the individual.
The perpetrator indicated that all texts were intended for public release. Similar allegations were previously shared on the social media platform X prior to the attack. In December 2024, the suspect, a 50-year-old Saudi national, drove a vehicle into a crowd at the Magdeburg Christmas market, resulting in six fatalities and approximately 300 injuries, many of significant severity.
Authorities have been aware of the individual since 2013, due to a history of threats and unusual written correspondence. He had presented himself as an activist focused on assisting women escaping his home country.
Currently, the perpetrator is in investigative custody in Berlin. All incoming and outgoing mail is being monitored by law enforcement officials. Sources indicate that an indictment is expected to be filed against him as early as August.