A high-profile trial commenced on Monday in Magdeburg, Germany, for a Saudi Arabian doctor accused of orchestrating a devastating attack on a Christmas market last December. The incident, which occurred on December 20, 2024, resulted in the deaths of six individuals and left over 300 others injured. The suspect, identified as Taleb A. in accordance with German privacy laws, allegedly drove a rented BMW at speeds of up to 48 km/h through the crowded market in the heart of Magdeburg. The attack, which lasted just over a minute, took place at 19:02 local time, when the market was bustling with holiday revelers. Taleb A., now 51, faces charges of murdering six people, including a nine-year-old boy and five women aged between 45 and 75. Additionally, he is accused of attempted murder in relation to 338 others, as well as causing grievous bodily harm to 309 individuals and dangerous interference with road traffic. Prosecutors in Naumburg, Saxony-Anhalt, stated that Taleb A. was not under the influence of alcohol or similar substances during the rampage. They believe he acted out of frustration over a civil dispute and the failure of various criminal complaints, aiming to kill an indeterminate number of people. The crime was reportedly planned and prepared meticulously over several weeks without accomplices. Taleb A. has been in custody since the day of the attack and faces life imprisonment if convicted. Due to the large number of victims, a temporary courthouse has been erected in Magdeburg for the trial. This incident adds to a history of attacks on Germany’s Christmas markets, primarily by extreme Islamists. However, Taleb A. was described as an ‘untypical’ attacker, being a refugee from Saudi Arabia who was critical of Islam and expressed support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party on social media, praising their efforts to ‘protect Germany.’