The Abdul Ballout case raises questions about the courts'…

The Abdul Ballout case raises questions about the courts' conduct

01.08.2026 19:01 HotInfo

German authorities continue examining the state's actions before the attack on Berlin's Pride march, in which 21-year-old Abdul Ballout drove a van into a crowd of people. The attack claimed the life of a 65-year-old woman from Warsaw and left 29 injured. The victim was at the event with her daughter, who suffered injuries but survived. teraz.sk ↗

After the attack, Ballout was tracked down in an allotment garden colony in Berlin's Spandau district, where police shot him dead during the operation. The Federal Prosecutor's Office released the second suspect, an Iranian citizen who had been near the scene of the crime and had a head injury. In the meantime, investigators found a video on Ballout's phone in which he allegedly swore allegiance to the Islamic State. svet.sme.sk ↗

New findings are focusing on his earlier radicalization. Ballout reportedly belonged to the Salafist milieu since 2021, presented himself online as a religious leader, and according to security services was in contact with a radical preacher, with whom he corresponded in May 2025 about a trip to Mauritania. He also had family ties to individuals associated with terrorism. pravda.sk ↗

Pressure is also mounting for an explanation of the judiciary's conduct. Ballout was convicted in May in connection with preparing a serious violent act, but the court postponed the question of a suspended sentence and lifted the detention order. Critics say the deradicalization talks came too late, while the judiciary rejects sweeping accusations. Political debate now concerns stricter rules for high-risk individuals, electronic tags, preventive detention, and possible changes to juvenile criminal law. Spiegel.de ↗

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