Abdul Bashir, the Afghan citizen who killed two women last Tuesday at the Ismaili Center in Lisbon, was being monitored in psychology at the Portuguese Red Cross and there were indications that his mental problems had already been flagged up in some way. 

The man underwent medical examinations at the beginning of the process of being granted refugee status, when he arrived in Portugal, in which he was diagnosed with a mental disorder that required monitoring and medication. As a result, according to Jornal de Notícias, quoted by Notícias ao Minuto, Abdul was followed by the Red Cross while attending the Ismaili Center.

Even when he tried to move to Germany - which in the end he couldn't, since it was Portugal that granted him asylum with protection - he didn't stop his therapy. That only happened later, and of his own free will.

The 'mystery call' that may have triggered the mental episode

On Tuesday morning, while attending a Portuguese class at the Ismaili Center, on the eve of a trip to Switzerland with his three young children, Abdul received a call in which he was informed that an official document had been refused without which he could not fly to Zurich, from where he could try again to reach Germany.

He then stabbed the teacher (the seriously wounded man is still in hospital) and left the classroom in the direction of another room, where he fatally stabbed Mariana Jadaugy, 24, - with whom he had developed a love interest in recent months - and Farana Sadrudin, 49. Another person who tried to help the victims was also injured.

The Polícia Judiciária has already admitted that the episode was the result of "a psychotic break by the attacker", who is in hospital after being shot by the police. The attacker is not expected to be released for 10 days and only then will he be able to be questioned by the investigating judge.

Bashir came to Portugal from Greece after losing his wife in a refugee camp there. The Minister for Home Affairs, José Luís Carneiro, confirmed that the man, who is "relatively young", has three young children, aged 9, 7 and 4. The children are provisionally in an institution, maintaining contact with the community and school routines.

The funeral ceremonies for the two main victims of the attack will take place this Friday. Farana will be veiled at the Ismaili Center itself and Mariana in a church, at the family's preference, since she is Catholic.