Overview
- A Munich court on Thursday convicted Farhad N. of two counts of murder and 23 counts of attempted murder and sentenced him to life in prison with a finding of particularly serious guilt.
- The Feb. 13, 2025 attack saw a car driven into a 1,400-strong trade union march, killing a 37-year-old mother and her two-year-old daughter and leaving dozens of people with life-threatening or serious injuries.
- Judges concluded the attack was motivated by religion, noting the defendant reportedly shouted 'Allahu Akbar' and was radicalised by online content from Afghan preachers while investigators found no link to organised jihadist groups.
- The defence asked for psychiatric placement but court-appointed experts said his mental health did not reduce his criminal responsibility and the court rejected the request.
- The incident occurred days before Germany’s 2025 national election and helped push immigration and security to the centre of public debate, boosting support for the far-right AfD and shaping CDU/CSU rhetoric.