An Afghan national, Farhad N, 25, has gone on trial in Germany, accused of deliberately driving his car into a crowd of people during a trade union demonstration in the city of Munich on February 13, 2025. The attack resulted in the deaths of a 37-year-old woman named Amel and her two-year-old daughter, Hafsa, who succumbed to their severe head injuries shortly after the incident. Additionally, 44 other individuals were hurt, with some sustaining critical injuries during the rampage.

Prosecutors contend that Farhad N, identified only by his first name and initial in adherence to German privacy laws, acted out of "excessive religious motivation." They allege that he believed he was "obliged to attack and kill randomly selected people in Germany in response to the suffering of Muslims in Islamic countries." Following the attack, he reportedly shouted "Allahu Akbar" and prayed, and he is also accused of having watched extremist preachers online. Despite these claims, officials have stated that they do not believe he was part of any established jihadist movement, such as Islamic State.

The incident occurred in the center of Munich, where approximately 1,400 people were participating in a street rally involving city workers, including hospital and daycare staff, who were advocating for better wages. The vehicle, a BMW Mini, traveled for about 75 feet before coming to a halt when its front wheels lost contact with the ground due to people lying in front of and underneath the car. The mother and daughter victims were tragically hurled through the air for 10 meters, suffering fatal head injuries.

Farhad N arrived in Germany in 2016 as an unaccompanied teenager, seeking asylum during the height of Europe's migrant crisis between 2015 and 2016, when Germany accepted over a million asylum seekers. Although his asylum request was rejected, he was not deported and was granted temporary residency in Munich. German authorities confirmed he was legally resident, possessed a work permit, and had held jobs as a shop security guard and for security companies. He had no prior convictions and was active on Instagram, where he posted about bodybuilding and religious themes.

The trial began on Friday, just a few hundred meters from the scene of the attack. At the commencement of proceedings, the defendant reportedly hid his face behind a red folder and raised his right index finger, a gesture symbolizing belief in one God. His lawyer informed the court that his client would not be commenting on either the attack or his personal circumstances. Farhad N faces two charges of murder and 44 charges of attempted murder. The trial is scheduled to run for 38 days, expected to conclude by the end of June.

This attack, along with several other deadly incidents linked to migrants, has intensified the already heated debate on immigration in Germany, particularly ahead of a general election. The influx of migrants in 2015-2016 has proven deeply divisive and contributed to the rise of the far-right AfD party. Conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who assumed power in May, has publicly vowed to crack down on criminal migrants and has increased deportations of convicts to countries like Afghanistan. Germany also recently deported a man to Syria for the first time since the civil war began in 2011.

Other similar incidents highlighted in the context of this debate include a knife attack in Aschaffenburg a month prior, carried out by another Afghan man, which killed two people, including a two-year-old boy. In December 2024, six people died and hundreds were wounded when a car plowed into a Christmas market in Magdeburg; a Saudi man was arrested and is currently on trial for that incident. Additionally, several Syrian nationals have been arrested for attacks or plots around the same time, including a stabbing spree in Solingen.