On the night of November 13, 2026, a BMW belonging to Julian Reichelt, editor-in-chief of the online outlet Nius, was set on fire in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin. The outlet itself reported the incident, and Berlin police confirmed it was a deliberate arson attack. According to law enforcement, a passerby reported the fire around 2:00 AM; the name of the car owner was not mentioned in the official statement, and the motive for the crime remained unknown at the time of publication.
Firefighting and casualties
According to preliminary information, one person was injured—a firefighter involved in extinguishing the blaze. Reports state that he was struck by a passing car while working on the street; his injuries are described as minor. Reichelt himself was not injured during the arson. Details regarding the condition of the firefighter and the circumstances of the collision were not disclosed in initial reports.
Journalist's assessment
Julian Reichelt stated that the burning of his car was a targeted attack. He described the incident as an "attempt to intimidate new free media that oppose left-wing extremism." In a public statement, the journalist added: "This is the face of the left-wing extremism that will soon sit in the Red City Hall of Berlin. These are ideological like-minded people of [mayoral candidate] Elif Eralp." Police did not specify a motive or suspects in their confirmation, so the political attribution of the attack remains the claim of the victim himself.
Political reaction
Alice Weidel, leader of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, responded to the incident, calling the arson of Reichelt’s car an "open attack on press freedom and critical journalism." "Anyone who wants to intimidate uncomfortable media is attacking the fundamental principles of democracy," she wrote. Thus, the event quickly transcended a local criminal episode and entered Berlin's public political discourse.
Context: who is Reichelt and what is Nius
Julian Reichelt previously served as editor-in-chief of the Bild tabloid, and since 2023, has led the new online outlet Nius. In the German press, the portal is described as "right-wing populist" and "right-wing conservative." Tagesspiegel noted that Nius has been regularly criticized for violating journalistic standards and has often been at the center of high-profile scandals; a relevant industry regulator has reviewed complaints against the outlet, and Nius is currently challenging one of the warnings issued against it in court. Against this backdrop, the burning of the editor-in-chief's personal car was perceived by part of the media landscape as a signal to right-wing conservative media.
