Munich court to rule on Verdi demonstration car attack

The Higher Regional Court in Munich is due to deliver its verdict on Thursday in the trial over an allegedly Islamist-motivated car attack on a demonstration, BR reported. The central question is whether the defendant will be sent to prison or placed in a psychiatric hospital.

Federal prosecutors have called for a life sentence. The defence is seeking a prison term of 15 years followed by placement in a psychiatric hospital.

Charges include two counts of murder

In February 2025, the defendant, an Afghan man who is now 25, drove into a Verdi demonstration procession near Munich’s main railway station. A mother and her young daughter died, while 43 other people were injured, some seriously. Another woman managed to jump out of the way. The defendant faces charges of two counts of murder and 44 counts of attempted murder.

The trial began in January and was heard on more than 30 days. Victims, helpers, emergency responders and many other witnesses described what they experienced and the lasting effects of the attack. The court also heard from relatives and acquaintances of the defendant, as well as expert witnesses, in an effort to assess his condition.

Defence argues reduced criminal responsibility

On the first day of the trial, the defendant repeatedly raised his right index finger. The gesture has religious significance in Islam but is also used as a symbol by Islamist extremists. He has remained silent about the charges.

When given the opportunity to make a final statement last week, he only thanked the justice system and the Federal Prosecutor’s Office. He said he respected what his lawyers had previously said, but did not apologise.

The defence argues that the defendant’s criminal responsibility may have been diminished. One lawyer cited several indications of what he called “hebephrenic schizophrenia”. The defendant may have committed the attack in a “catatonic state”, the lawyer said, claiming he initially showed no reaction after police officers shot at his car and only drove away later “as if waking from a deep sleep”. During questioning, he allegedly spoke incoherently and displayed a “completely inappropriate, systematic grin”. The defence rejects the view that he was a religious fanatic.

Prosecutors cite religious and political motives

Federal prosecutors argue that the defendant’s religious and political views played a decisive role. In their view, he saw the attack as revenge for suffering that the West had inflicted on Muslims, including in Gaza and Afghanistan.

They also said personal emotions had contributed to the attack, arguing that the defendant had made people the targets of his anger, disappointment and bitterness even though they had played no part in creating his state of mind.

Although prosecutors acknowledge that the defendant has a personality disorder, they consider him criminally responsible, citing an expert assessment. They are seeking a life sentence and a finding of particularly serious guilt, which would rule out release on parole after 15 years in prison.

The co-plaintiffs, including people affected by the attack, joined the prosecution’s demands through their lawyers. The relatives of the two people who died did not attend the hearing. In a letter read out in court, they said they did not want to portray the defendant as a senseless person who had committed a senseless act. Instead, they wanted to preserve the memory of and their love for the two victims. They again urged people not to use the attack for political purposes or fuel hatred.