Man behind deadly Munich car ramming handed life sentence
Farhad N, who is found guilty of killing two and injuring dozens more, will likely not be released from prison.
A man responsible for a fatal car ramming in Munich has received a life sentence.
Farhad N was found guilty of two counts of murder, 23 counts of attempted murder, and various other offenses.
Last year, Farhad N, a 25-year-old Afghan national, deliberately drove his Mini into a crowd during a trade union rally in Munich, resulting in the deaths of two people and injuring over 40 others. Prosecutors stated that the incident occurred on the morning of February 13, 2025, in the city center, where approximately 1,400 people were gathered.
Among the victims were a 37-year-old woman and her two-year-old daughter, both of whom succumbed to their injuries shortly after being hospitalized. Several of the injured remain in critical condition.
The Munich Higher Regional Court deemed the crime to be of a "particularly serious nature," making it significantly more challenging for Farhad N to be eligible for parole after serving 15 years of his sentence.
The judge stated that Farhad N intended to arbitrarily attack and kill people in Germany as a response to the situation in Islamic countries. The judge further elaborated, "In doing so, the defendant sought to commit an act pleasing to God and to prove himself to be a good Muslim in the eyes of Allah, himself, and his family."
The prosecution argued that Farhad N believed the attack was a necessary response to the actions of the US and other Western states in Gaza and Afghanistan, adding that anger, disappointment, and bitterness also played a role.
The defense, citing signs of schizophrenia in their client, had requested a 15-year prison sentence and placement in a psychiatric hospital.
Farhad N retains the right to appeal the verdict.
Officials reported that Farhad N arrived in Germany in 2016 as a teenager during the peak of Europe's migrant crisis, traveling alone. Although his asylum request was denied, he was not deported. German authorities confirmed his legal residency and work permit, noting his employment as a shop detective and for security companies. He had no prior convictions and was active on Instagram, where he posted about bodybuilding and religious topics.
This incident is one of several attacks in Germany that have intensified far-right rhetoric concerning migration. Germany accepted over a million asylum seekers between 2015 and 2016, an influx that has caused deep divisions and contributed to the rise of the far-right AfD party.