Afghan Suspect Stands Trial for Munich Car Rampage
A 24-year-old Afghan man faces a German court today. He stands accused of a horrific car attack in Munich last year. The incident claimed the lives of a young mother and her two-year-old daughter. Dozens more suffered injuries in the violent rampage.
Charges and Alleged Motivation
Prosecutors have brought serious charges against the suspect, identified as Farhad N. He faces two counts of murder. Additionally, he is charged with 44 counts of attempted murder. Officials state he acted with a clear religious motivation. They claim he expected to die during the assault.
The attack occurred on February 13, 2025. Farhad N. allegedly drove his BMW Mini directly into a large street rally. The event was a trade union gathering with about 1,400 participants. His vehicle traveled 23 meters before stopping. The charge sheet notes the front wheels lost contact with the ground. This happened because people were lying under and in front of the car.
A 37-year-old woman and her little girl were thrown ten meters through the air. Both sustained severe head injuries. They died from these wounds several days later in the hospital.
Prosecutors Detail Religious Zeal
Authorities say Farhad N. is originally from Kabul. They assert he committed this act out of what they call "excessive religious motivation." After the car came to a stop, he reportedly uttered the phrase "Allahu Akbar." This Arabic expression means "God is the greatest."
When formally charged in August, prosecutors elaborated on his alleged mindset. They stated he believed he was obligated to attack. He wanted to kill randomly chosen people in Germany. This was supposedly a response to the suffering of Muslims in Islamic nations. However, investigators do not believe he was part of any organized Islamist militant group. They found no links to networks like the Islamic State.
Suspect's Background and Recent Attacks
Farhad N. arrived in Germany back in 2016. This was during the peak of Europe's mass migrant influx. His application for asylum was ultimately rejected. Despite this, he avoided deportation. He found employment and remained in the country legally. Police reports indicate he worked in the security sector. He was also deeply involved in fitness training and bodybuilding.
This Munich tragedy was part of a spate of violent incidents. Just one month prior, another Afghan man carried out a knife attack. That assault targeted a kindergarten group in Aschaffenburg. It resulted in two fatalities, including a two-year-old boy. A court later determined the perpetrator acted during a psychotic episode. He was ordered into psychiatric care.
In December 2024, a separate car attack shocked Germany. A vehicle plowed into a Christmas market in Magdeburg. Six people died, and hundreds were wounded. A Saudi national was arrested and is currently on trial for that crime.
Around the same period, several Syrian nationals were also arrested. They faced charges for attacks or plots. One involved a knife attack at a street festival in Solingen. That incident killed three people.
Political Context and Immigration Policy
Germany accepted over a million asylum seekers between 2015 and 2016. This period marked the height of the European migrant crisis. The large influx has remained a deeply divisive issue in German society. It contributed significantly to the rising popularity of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
Conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz took office in May. He has promised a tougher stance on criminal migrants. His government has increased the deportation of convicts to Afghanistan. In a notable move last December, Germany deported a man to Syria. This was the first such deportation since the Syrian civil war began in 2011.
The trial of Farhad N. now unfolds in Munich. It revisits a painful chapter that intensified national debates on security, immigration, and integration.
