Terrorist from Berlin Attempted to Be Passed Off as Israeli Citizen (PHOTO)

After the attack at the LGBTQ+ Pride in Berlin, a fake claim about the suspect's Israeli citizenship spread on social media. German authorities refuted it: the suspect is a German citizen, 21-year-old Abdul Ballut of Lebanese origin. The fake passport was created in a graphics editor.

After the attack at the LGBTQ+ Pride in Berlin, which resulted in the death of a woman and 31 injured, a massive disinformation campaign began on social media. One of the main fakes was an image of the attacker's alleged Israeli passport. Users claimed the perpetrator was an Israeli citizen and that German authorities were hiding this fact. Germany's Federal Prosecutor's Office refuted these claims, stating that the suspect is 21-year-old Abdul Ballut, a Berlin native of Lebanese descent. He had previously been convicted for preparing a terrorist attack and was undergoing a deradicalization program. A video was found on his phone showing a masked person swearing allegiance to ISIS. The organization Stop Antisemitism and German media confirmed the passport is a forgery. Photos of unrelated individuals were also circulated, baselessly labeled as terrorists, along with conspiracy theories about the involvement of various states.