The trial of an Afghan man identified as Farhad N. has begun in Germany over a February 13, 2025 car-ramming in Munich that prosecutors say killed a mother and her two-year-old daughter and injured dozens. He faces two counts of murder and 44 counts of attempted murder; prosecutors allege an "excessive religious motivation" and report he shouted 'Allahu Akbar' after the attack. Authorities say he is not known to belong to any Islamist militant group. The case has intensified national debate on migration amid other violent incidents earlier in the year.
Afghan Man on Trial Over Munich Car-Ramming That Killed Mother and Toddler
A vehicle rampage in February 2025 was one of several deadly attacks linked to migrants (Michaela STACHE)(Michaela STACHE/AFP/AFP)
An Afghan man, partially identified as Farhad N., has gone on trial in Germany accused of deliberately driving a car into a trade union street rally in Munich on 13 February 2025. Prosecutors say the attack killed a 37-year-old woman and her two-year-old daughter and left dozens injured. The defendant faces two counts of murder and 44 counts of attempted murder.
According to the charge sheet, the suspect—then 24—allegedly steered his BMW Mini into a crowd of about 1,400 people. The vehicle travelled roughly 23 metres (75 feet) before stopping; prosecutors say the car came to a halt after its front wheels lost contact with the ground because people were lying in front of and underneath it.
Witnesses and the charge document describe victims being thrown into the air for around 10 metres. The 37-year-old woman and her young daughter sustained severe head injuries and died several days later.
Prosecutors allege that the Kabul-born suspect acted out of an “excessive religious motivation,” and they say he shouted the words 'Allahu Akbar' (God is the greatest) after the incident. When charging him in August, prosecutors said he believed he was obliged to attack and kill randomly selected people in Germany in response to the suffering of Muslims in other countries. Authorities also say there is no known link between the suspect and organised Islamist militant groups such as Islamic State.
Context And Background
Farhad N. arrived in Germany in 2016 during the large migrant influx to Europe. His asylum request was rejected, but he was not deported; he found work, reportedly in security, and remained in the country. Police sources have described him as heavily involved in fitness training and bodybuilding.
The Munich attack came amid a series of high-profile violent incidents in Germany that intensified public debate about migration and public safety ahead of the general election in 2025. Other recent cases included a knife attack in Aschaffenburg a month earlier, which killed two people and was later attributed by judges to an acute psychotic episode, and a December 2024 vehicle attack on a Magdeburg Christmas market in which six people died. Several other arrests and prosecutions of foreign nationals in connection with violent plots or attacks were reported around the same period.
Legal Proceedings
The trial will examine the motive, state of mind and circumstances of the accused, and whether the act was planned. Prosecutors are pursuing murder and attempted murder charges; the defence and court will determine criminal responsibility and any mitigating or aggravating factors under German law.
Note: Allegations about motive and shouted statements are based on prosecutors' accusations and witness reports. They have not been proven in court.
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