Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jul 28
German Prosecutors Find ISIL Pledge Video in Berlin Pride Attack That Killed 1
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jul 28

German Prosecutors Find ISIL Pledge Video in Berlin Pride Attack That Killed 1

3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jul 28

Summary

  • Investigators found a video on a phone inside the rented minivan used in Saturday’s Berlin Pride attack, showing the suspect pledging allegiance to ISIL, federal prosecutors said.
  • The 21-year-old suspect, Abdul Ballout, was killed by police on Sunday after allegedly attacking officers with a bladed weapon; the rampage killed a 65-year-old Polish woman and injured 31 people.
  • Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said authorities believe the masked person in the video is Ballout, while data storage devices seized at his home also contained links to IS.
  • Ballout had already drawn scrutiny: Berlin prosecutors said he traveled to Lebanon in 2025 aiming to reach Syria and join ISIL, and a German juvenile court in May gave him a suspended 1-year-10-month sentence for planning serious violence.

Insights

How did a man convicted months earlier of planning violence still manage to attack Berlin Pride and leave 32 victims behind?
Was Berlin Pride specifically targeted, and what will this suspected extremist attack change for security at major LGBTQ events across Europe?