Agency Report –
The man accused of killing six people by ramming a car into crowds at a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg said he had begun a hunger strike on the second day of his high-security trial on Tuesday.
“I started the hunger strike yesterday. I intend to do it for three weeks. No physical harm is expected,” Taleb al-Abdulmohsen said in court.
Presiding Judge Dirk Sternberg made it clear that the trial could continue in al-Abdulmohsen’s absence if necessary.
“You do not have the power to delay or torpedo the trial by going on hunger or thirst strike,” Sternberg told the 51-year-old defendant.
Prosecutors have charged al-Abdulmohsen with six counts of murder and 338 counts of attempted murder in relation to the attack on December 20 of last year.
On Monday, al-Abdulmohsen admitted that he was behind the wheel during the incident in the eastern city of Magdeburg, which killed five women aged between 45 and 75 and a child. He did not provide any further specific details and showed no remorse.
The Magdeburg Regional Court has initially scheduled just under 50 trial days until March 12, 2026.
