Attack on the Berlin Pride Parade: Authorities Say There Is an Islamist Link

German Federal Minister of the Interior Alexander Dobrindt stated that all available evidence points to an Islamist terrorist attack during the Berlin Pride parade.

Law enforcement officials have issued a warrant for the arrest of the suspect, who is on the run from investigators. He has been identified as Abdul Ballut, a 22-year-old German citizen of Lebanese descent who was born in Germany. 

According to German media reports, the suspect had previously attempted to join the “Islamic State” group. After a trip to Lebanon in 2025, he was detained upon his return to Berlin and remained in custody until May 2026, during which time he was also required to undergo a deradicalization program.

Ballut reportedly lived with his mother and two sisters in Berlin’s Tiergarten district. According to a neighbor, a raucous party was thrown for him after his release from prison in May.

“Everyone here knows Abdul, and everyone here is a radical. Many pretend to be good Muslims, but that’s not the case. They live by double standards,” a local resident who attended school with Ballut told BILD.

Police also searched a mosque in the Wedding district, according to the Berliner Morgenpost. The search for Ballut continues throughout Germany and at the country’s borders. Investigators are also looking into the possibility of an accomplice.

Source: BBC.

Meanwhile, the G×Bar beauty bar chain reported that on the morning of July 21, unknown individuals left severed pig heads and entrails at the entrance to the G×Bar Special location in Kyiv and splattered blood on the threshold.

Earlier, a scandal erupted around Sabina Musina’s G×Bar after footage from thefootage from the “KyivPride” march surfaced online showing a young woman—identified by the media as Yuliana Kaznodiy, a student at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv—trampling on an LGBTIQ+ flag. As a result, she was fired from her job at GBar. Against this backdrop, the stance of Petro Melnyk, Chief Ambassador of Ukraine’s LGBTQ+ community, garnered particular attention, as he sided with GBar in this situation. His support sparked further debate within the community, as some activists and social media users argued that companies which profess inclusivity must consistently uphold their own values not only in their communications but also in their internal policies. But while social media users debate whether simply apologizing for trampling on the LGBTIQ+ flag is enough, GBar decided to reiterate its “values,” and Petro Melnyk was quick to back them up.