BERLIN, December 23. /TASS/. The perpetrator of the attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg, Taleb A., had threatened to reenact the terror attack at the Boston Marathon ten years ago, Die Welt reported, citing court documents.

According to the newspaper, the man made such threats in 2014, and was fined for it. At the time, Taleb A. applied for a medical license exam. He was required to provide additional academic certificates, which Taleb A. refused to do. In a telephone conversation, he demanded that his application be accepted in ten days, or otherwise "some negative event of international scope" would occur.

"Have you seen photos from Boston? Something similar will happen there," the media outlet quoted Taleb A. as saying.

On April 15, 2013, two explosions, with 12 seconds in between, happened in Boston’s downtown, near the finish line of the traditional marathon. The attack killed three people and injured 260.

On the evening of December 20th, a BMW driver deliberately drove his car into people at the Christmas market in the center of Magdeburg. Authorities in the region and in Magdeburg called it a terrorist attack. Officials say at least five people were killed and more than 200 injured.

Taleb A., originally from Saudi Arabia, has been living in Germany since 2006 and has a permanent residence permit. In 2016, the man was granted refugee status and was working as a doctor in the town of Bernburg.