Munich: Germany’s federal prosecutors announced on Friday that they have taken over the investigation into a car-ramming attack in Munich, citing suspicions that it was religiously motivated and aimed at undermining the country’s democratic order.
The incident, which occurred on Thursday, left at least 39 people injured, including a toddler. A 24-year-old Afghan man drove into a group of demonstrators gathered in the city center, bringing security concerns to the forefront just weeks ahead of the federal election scheduled for February 23.
“There is a suspicion that the act was religiously motivated and is to be understood as an attack on the free democratic basic order,” the federal prosecutor’s office stated, while confirming that the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office is also conducting a criminal investigation.
An Afghan national has admitted to deliberately ramming into a crowd in the German city of Munich, injuring at least 36 people including a toddler. Authorities have determined an Islamist motive for the crime https://t.co/3zOeBUhumt pic.twitter.com/EZRMWkBntM
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 14, 2025
Suspect’s Intentions and Investigation
Munich lead prosecutor Gabriele Tilmann disclosed that the suspect admitted to deliberately targeting the demonstrators.
“I’m very cautious about making hasty judgments, but based on everything we know at the moment, I would venture to speak of an Islamist motivation for the crime,” Tilmann said.
Authorities revealed that officers fired on the suspect’s vehicle following the attack, but he was not hit. Tilmann added that the suspect reportedly said the words “Allahu akbar” (“God is greatest”) and prayed in front of the police.
The attack took place just hours before high-profile leaders, including U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, arrived in Munich for the annual Munich Security Conference. However, police clarified that there was no connection between the two events.
No Known Terrorist Affiliations
Tilmann noted that there is no evidence linking the suspect, identified as Farhad Noori, to any Islamist or terrorist organizations. Investigators are reviewing his communications—primarily in Dari, a language spoken in Afghanistan—and examining materials seized during searches to determine whether anyone had prior knowledge of the crime or was involved.
A Munich court has issued an arrest warrant against Noori, placing him in investigative custody.
Authorities reported that Noori arrived in Germany as an unaccompanied minor in 2016 and had been living in the country legally. He was employed as a store detective and had presented himself on social media as a bodybuilder and athlete while also posting religious content.
Deputy police chief Christian Huber stated that Noori had no prior convictions and was not due for deportation, correcting earlier police reports that had been circulated in the immediate aftermath of the attack.
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“That false information had been announced in the chaos of the early hours,” Huber explained.
Security and Immigration in Election Campaigning
The attack has fueled political debate as security and immigration dominate discussions ahead of the upcoming elections.
Recent violent incidents have intensified concerns. In December, an attack at a Christmas market in Magdeburg left six people dead, while last month, a toddler and an adult were killed in a knife attack in the Bavarian town of Aschaffenburg. In both cases, immigrants were arrested.
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Friedrich Merz, the center-right frontrunner in the chancellor race, has pledged to make security his top priority. Meanwhile, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), currently polling in second place, has focused on Noori’s legal status in Germany as part of its campaign rhetoric.
