A German court has handed a life prison sentence to an Afghan man for a car-ramming attack in Munich that killed a two-year-old girl and her mother and injured dozens of others. The Munich court on Thursday ruled that the crime carried "particular gravity," a designation that will make it significantly more difficult for 25-year-old Farhad Noori to be released from prison.
Prosecutors stated that Noori acted out of "religious motivation" and uttered "Allahu Akbar" after the rampage. He is not believed to be part of any organized jihadist movement. The attack occurred on February 13, 2025, as the city was preparing to host the Munich Security Conference, a prominent gathering of political and defense figures.
Noori, who was born in Kabul and came to Germany seeking asylum in 2016 at the age of 15, had his asylum request rejected but was permitted to remain in the country and find employment. Court-appointed experts determined that his mental health issues did not reduce his degree of responsibility, despite his defense team's request for him to be sent to a psychiatric facility.
The vehicle, a Mini Cooper, drove into a street rally, propelling the 37-year-old woman and her young daughter approximately 10 meters. Both sustained severe head injuries and died several days later. Eyewitnesses described people being "flung left and right, like a bowling alley." The car came to a stop after 75 feet as its front wheels lost contact with the ground due to the people lying in front of and underneath it, according to the charge sheet.
In addition to two counts of murder, Noori initially faced 44 counts of attempted murder. Half of these were later changed to counts of bodily harm, 19 of them serious.
The attack took place in the lead-up to Germany's general election in February 2025. This event saw a surge in support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. The subsequent government, led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the center-right CDU/CSU, pledged a tougher stance on immigration in response to the AfD's gains. However, recent opinion polls indicate a decline in support for the CDU/CSU and a steady lead for the AfD.