Taleb publicly renounced Islam and declared himself an atheist, a stance that is not only controversial but also dangerous in Saudi Arabia, where apostasy can result in severe penalties. He cited these risks as the basis for seeking political asylum in Germany,

On Friday evening, a man ploughed a car into a crowd of shoppers at a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg. The attack has left five people dead and more than 200 injured, with many in a critical condition. One man has been arrested over the attack, and police believe he was solely responsible.