A German court has sentenced a 25-year-old man to life in prison for a deadly car-ramming attack that took place in Munich last year. The defendant, identified as Farhad N. due to German privacy regulations, was convicted on Thursday of two counts of murder and 23 counts of attempted murder.
The attack occurred on February 13, 2025, when the defendant targeted a labor union demonstration. The incident resulted in the deaths of a 37-year-old woman and her two-year-old daughter. Additionally, 44 other individuals sustained serious or life-threatening injuries during the event.
Following the proceedings, the court determined that the defendant carries “particularly serious” guilt. This legal designation effectively precludes the possibility of release after the standard 15-year period typically associated with life sentences in Germany. During the trial, the court concluded that the defendant’s actions were motivated by a desire to attack random people in Germany as a reaction to the political situation in Islamic countries, aiming to prove himself a “good Muslim.”
The defendant was apprehended immediately following the attack. The incident became a significant point of contention in the months leading up to Germany’s national election, which took place 10 days after the event, as it intensified the national debate surrounding immigration.
The car ramming fatally injured two people, a two-year-old girl and her 37-year-old mother. Forty-four other people suffered life-threatening or serious injuries, authorities have said.
