Farhad Noori, 24, an Afghan of Tajik ethnicity who is currently being held in custody for the attack, came to Germany in 2016, at the height of the so-called “migrant crisis,” as a refugee. He claimed that he had come to Europe because he was in danger in his home country and requested asylum. Further investigation revealed that this excuse was a lie, however.
Der Spiegel’s reporters reviewed a ruling on Noori’s immigration status that had been handed down by Munich’s administrative court on Oct. 9, 2020. This was in response to an appeal that Noori had filed after his original asylum application had been rejected by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF).
After reviewing the facts of the case, however, the court determined that Noori had made up the story in order to be able to remain in Germany legally. They found that his statements to the court regarding the circumstances of his escape from Afghanistan were “not credible.” They went on to say that his description of the persecution he had allegedly experienced at home was “lacking in detail and unrealistic,” and also contained many inconsistencies.
The court therefore ruled that it was unlikely that Noori would face any “serious threat” if he returned to Afghanistan.
At the time, Noori presented the court with medical documents which stated that he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This condition was said to be causing him sleep disorder and impulse control problems. The documents were dated from 2017, however, and the asylum-seeker himself told the court that he was no longer receiving any medical treatment for these conditions.
Given all of this, the court rejected Noori’s application for asylum. The newspaper Die Welt has reported that he was receiving medical treatment for PTSD and hallucinations in the period before he was detained. Investigators have said that they do not believe he was mentally ill, however, and was therefore responsible for his actions at the time of the crime. They have further stated that there is no evidence of any psychological issues that would have induced him to commit such an act.
Regardless of all of these factors, Noori was issued a tolerance permit in April 2021, which caused his deportation order to be temporarily suspended. He was then issued a residence permit in October of the same year. He was therefore legally residing in Germany at the time that he allegedly perpetrated the ramming attack.
The Munich prosecutor’s office has said that Noori admitted to the crime after being arrested. His exact motives have not yet been publicized, although public prosecutor Gabriele Tilmann pointed out that he had shouted “Allahu akbar” and was seen praying while being arrested. Investigators have also said that when questioned, Noori explained that his act had a “religious motivation.” This clearly suggests that this was yet another Islamist terrorist attack – one of a string which have plagued Europe in recent months.
Investigators have said that they have not yet discovered any evidence that Noori had ties to any terrorist group, and also believe that he acted alone.
Investigators have been examining the contents of his mobile phone, where most of his communication was conducted in Dari, one of Afghanistan’s official languages. They have claimed that his messages reveal an “Islamist orientation.” They also discovered a private message in which he had said goodbye to a relative the day prior to the attack, also writing that “maybe I won’t be here tomorrow.”
Noori’s case is somewhat unusual when compared to those of other Islamist terrorists because his criminal record in Germany is nearly spotless. Law enforcement has said that his prior record is clean apart from a case in which he was found to have defrauded the unemployment benefits office. After registering as unemployed, he had taken a job and then missed the mandatory deadline to inform the office of his change in status. He only received a fine, however, because it had only been a short time since the deadline had passed.
At the time of the attack, Noori was working as a security guard in a store. He also had a sizeable following on social media as a bodybuilder, with approximately 100,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok.
The car that the Afghan migrant allegedly used to carry out the attack was registered in his name.
Farhad Noori remains in custody, facing 39 counts of murder, attempted murder, and intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
