He was obviously targeting motorcyclists and chasing them in his car. The investigation into the alleged Islamist attack is in its second day. The judge had made a decision the previous evening.
Berlin (AP) - After the alleged Islamist attack with a car on the Berlin city motorway, the suspect comes to psychiatry. A judge decided that.
On Thursday, the security authorities continue their investigations against the 30-year-old. The Iraqi is under investigation for attempted murder.
The perpetrator had repeatedly rammed vehicles with his car and injured six people, three of them seriously. The attacker had "practically hunted" motorcyclists, as the public prosecutor's office, Martin Steltner, said. A motorcyclist had suffered severe injuries to his head and spine. The security authorities rated the collisions as targeted attacks with an Islamist background.
According to the public prosecutor's office, the Iraqi is tolerated in Germany and may not be deported until further notice. According to information from Berlin Senate circles, he came to the country as an asylum seeker, but his asylum application was rejected. Accordingly, it was initially unclear when he came to Germany. According to photos from his Facebook profile, he was in Berlin at least 2016. The Facebook page is now blocked.
The Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office and the police did not see any evidence of membership in a terrorist organization. "According to current knowledge, there is no network that works in the background, but we will see what the results of the investigation will be," said Berlin's Senator for the Interior Andreas Geisel (SPD) of the RBB "Abendschau". The alleged perpetrator was therefore not known to the Berlin State Security.
Since 2018, according to Attorney General Margarete Koppers, the man has appeared as a suspect in several cases of assault and for an attack on law enforcement officers. Accordingly, he was temporarily housed in a psychiatric facility.
After the crash drive, the man threatened with an alleged ammunition box in which only tools were later found. According to Koppers, the man also shouted "Allahu Akbar" several times and said in Arabic that everyone would die. He had a kitchen knife with him and rolled out a prayer rug and sat on it. He was arrested by a policeman who speaks Arabic and was one of the first at the scene.
Before the crime, the alleged driver published evidence on the Internet. On his Facebook page he posted photos of what would later become the Tat car, as well as religious sayings that also included the word "martyr". According to information on his Facebook profile, the alleged perpetrator studied design. He posted a photo there in March 2015 from the graduation day at an Iraqi art academy.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 200820-99-233507 / 3
