Abdul Ballut, 21, the suspect in the vehicle attack on participants of the Christopher Street Day LGBT parade in Berlin, was previously convicted of preparing a terrorist attack, reports infohub.kz.
According to German newspaper BILD, in 2025 Ballut attempted to travel to Syria but was detained in Lebanon and returned to Germany as a citizen.
In May 2026, a court in Berlin's Tiergarten district found him guilty of preparing a serious crime against state security and sentenced him to one year and ten months in prison. Prosecutors considered the sentence too lenient, demanding two years and ten months, and appealed the verdict. Pending the appeal, the man remained free: he was under police surveillance, his phone was tapped, and he was required to check in weekly with a probation officer.
Additionally, Ballut was undergoing a deradicalization program. According to WELT, he voluntarily attended consultations on June 15 and July 9, and the next meeting was scheduled for the day after the attack. The program comprised a total of 26 sessions.
The tragedy occurred on the evening of July 25 in Tiergarten park near the Brandenburg Gate. A van drove into a crowd of participants at the Christopher Street Day LGBT parade. One person was killed and 17 others were injured. After the attack, investigators found the suspect's mobile phone inside the damaged van. Ballut himself fled. Police continue to search for him across Europe and warn that the man may be armed and poses a danger to the public.