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Trial of Magdeburg Christmas Market Suspect Opens in Purpose-Built Courtroom

Prosecutors pursue six murder counts plus hundreds of attempted‑murder charges, with months of testimony ahead.

Overview

  • Proceedings begin in a temporary courthouse on Jerichower Platz that was erected for the case, offering roughly 450 seats for victim participants and 200 for the public and media.
  • The indictment lists six murders and 338 attempted murders, exposing Taleb A. to a possible life sentence with preventive detention.
  • Documents reviewed by reporters indicate the defendant plans to speak in court and invoke a “necessity” defense after setting out conspiratorial claims in a pretrial hearing.
  • About 170 to 180 people have been admitted as joint plaintiffs so far, while survivor groups describe renewed flashbacks and anxiety as the trial and holiday season return.
  • The Federal Prosecutor declined to take the case as a state‑security matter, leaving it in Magdeburg, and the court has set roughly 46 to 50 hearing days through March 2026; the interim venue has cost about €1.7 million so far with total expenses expected in the mid single‑digit millions.