In a shocking revelation, it has emerged that Saudi Arabia had issued three separate warnings to Germany about the Saudi psychologist who is accused of killing five people and injuring over 200 in a horrific attack on a bustling Christmas market.
The alleged terrorist, Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, 50, had reportedly pledged to die for justice in the "Islamic war waged by Germany" months before the Friday's terror attack.
According to The New York Post, the first warning from Saudi Arabia arrived in 2007, a year after al-Abdulmohsen sought refuge in Germany. The man, who had a history of espousing radical views, was considered a fugitive by Saudi Arabia.
The Middle Eastern nation had sought his extradition between 2007 and 2008, but German authorities denied the request, citing concerns for al-Abdulmohsen's safety upon his return.
Despite the refusal, al-Abdulmohsen continued to express anti-German and anti-Muslim sentiments on social media for years, even advising fellow asylum seekers to avoid residing in Germany. He targeted the group Atheist Refugee Relief, accusing it of being part of a leftist agenda to undermine anti-Islamic activism.
"Since January 2019, we have reported to the German police dozens of times with conclusive evidence. But the whole organization is a product of the corrupt German authorities.. so I consider it an Islamic war waged by Germany against the irreligious Saudis," al-Abdulmohsen wrote on social media. He ominously added, "I promise you that justice will come even if I die for it.. and most likely I will actually die for it this year."
Atheist Refugee Relief confirmed that al-Abdulmohsen had made "numerous accusations and claims" against them and their former board members. The group had filed a criminal complaint against him in 2019 following "the most foul slander and verbal attacks."
In a disturbing post, al-Abdulmohsen laid out his theory of German persecution of Saudi Arabians and Muslims, predicting a bloody end. He questioned the possibility of achieving justice in Germany without resorting to violence, a sentiment that foreshadowed his alleged involvement in the recent attack.
Al-Abdulmohsen, who identified himself as a former Muslim, fled to Germany as a Saudi Arabian refugee in 2006 and gained official refugee status in 2016. He was publicly critical of German authorities, accusing them of failing to combat the "Islamism of Europe," while also expressing support for the far-right and anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
He gained some notoriety in 2019 when he was profiled by BBC News for creating the website wearesaudis.net to assist other Gulf region asylum seekers escape their native countries, where ex-Muslims can face prosecution and even death for renouncing their faith.
However, al-Abdulmohsen's advice to fellow asylum seekers was clear: "My advice: do not seek asylum in Germany." He propagated a theory that German authorities were targeting Saudi asylum-seekers, a claim that has yet to be substantiated.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser stated on Saturday, "at this point, we can only say for sure that the perpetrator was evidently Islamophobic we can confirm that. Everything else is a matter for further investigation and we have to wait."
The motive behind al-Abdulmohsen's alleged attack, which resulted in five deaths, including a 9-year-old, and over 200 injuries, remains unclear. A firefighter who responded to the disaster described the scene as akin to a "bad movie."
Chancellor Olaf Scholz is expected to visit the site on Saturday. This attack occurred just a day after the anniversary of the 2016 Berlin Christmas market attack, the deadliest terror attack in German history, which claimed 12 lives and injured 56 people.
Login