Elon Musk expressed strong disapproval of the German government’s handling of the car-ramming attack at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, which resulted in five fatalities and over 200 injuries. The suspect, Taleb A, a 50-year-old Saudi doctor, was granted asylum in Germany in 2006, despite fleeing Saudi Arabia after being accused of rape and involvement in serious crimes.
Musk referred to Taleb A as a “lunatic” and argued that Germany should not have allowed him entry. Instead, Musk believes the suspect should have been extradited to Saudi Arabia to face charges related to terrorism and human trafficking. Musk shared a detailed thread by a Saudi political commentator, which alleged that Taleb had fled Saudi Arabia in 2006 after facing accusations of serious crimes. The thread also claimed that Germany had ignored extradition requests from Saudi Arabia due to human rights concerns, despite the suspect’s criminal activities while working in a government hospital in Germany.
“Important thread to understand the magnitude of failure by the German government,” Musk tweeted. He added, “Yeah, he was obviously a lunatic who should never have been allowed to enter Germany and should have been extradited when Saudi Arabia made the request. Suicidal empathy by the German government.”
Musk, who has previously criticized German Chancellor Olaf Scholz over the incident, called for his resignation, labeling him an “incompetent fool.”
Reports suggest that Taleb rented the BMW used in the attack. While initial concerns were raised about a potential explosive device in the vehicle, German authorities later confirmed there were no explosives. Posts from Taleb’s now-deleted X account revealed his support for far-right and anti-Islam groups, including the Alternative for Germany (AfD), and criticized Germany’s handling of Saudi refugees.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser acknowledged the suspect’s “Islamophobia” but did not comment on the exact motive behind the attack. Authorities are continuing to question Taleb to determine his reasons for the attack.
