Munich attacker sentenced to life in prison

A Munich court has sentenced Farhad N. to life imprisonment for intentionally driving his car into a demonstration in February 2025, killing two people and injuring 23 others. The Higher Regional Court of Munich found a severe degree of guilt, which will significantly complicate any possibility of parole after 15 years.

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the scene was 'a field of rubble' spanning twelve meters wide and 23 meters long.

The court was convinced that N. deliberately drove his car into the demonstration from behind. The presiding judge, Michael Höhne, described the scene as "a field of rubble" spanning twelve meters wide and 23 meters long. N. intended to attack and kill randomly selected people in Germany as a reaction to the situation in Islamic countries, the judge explained. "The accused wanted to commit a god-pleasing act and prove himself a good Muslim to Allah, himself, and his family."

"The act was, one must say it so clearly, aimed at the destruction of human lives," stated one of the two federal prosecutors in their closing argument. In the defendant's perception, the attack corresponded to Allah's will and was a necessary response to the actions of the USA and other Western states in Gaza and Afghanistan. Personal emotions like anger, disappointment, and bitterness also played a role.

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The accused wanted to commit a god-pleasing act and prove himself a good Muslim to Allah, himself, and his family.

The defense, however, argued for a 15-year prison sentence and psychiatric commitment, citing signs of hebephrenic schizophrenia, a subtype characterized by confused emotions and unpredictable behavior rather than delusions. It was undisputed that the 25-year-old had driven into a Ver.di trade union demonstration, killing a mother and her two-year-old daughter.

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The act was, one must say it so clearly, aimed at the destruction of human lives.