Saudi Arabia Warned Germany about Suspect in Christmas Market Attack
Saudi Arabian security sources have revealed that Saudi Arabia had warned Germany about the man suspected of carrying out the attack at the Magdeburg Christmas market. The suspect, identified as Taleb A., is a 50-year-old doctor and Islam-critical activist who arrived in Germany in 2006 and was granted political refugee status in 2016.
According to the sources, Saudi Arabia requested the extradition of Taleb A. but Germany had not responded. Germany was alerted about the man about a year ago, but the nature of the warning is currently unknown. The suspect is a Shia Muslim from the city of Al-Hofuf in eastern Saudi Arabia, where Shiites make up around 10% of the population.
There have been repeated reports of discrimination against Shia Muslims in Saudi Arabia. The detained suspect had applied for asylum in Germany in February 2016 and was granted political refugee status in July of that year.