Terror Network Around Swift Attacker: First Verdict Against 19-Year-Old in Vienna

On Monday, a suspected member of the terror network around Beran A. was legally sentenced to two years partially suspended for terrorist association and criminal organization at the Vienna Regional Court. The 19-year-old supporter of the terrorist militia "Islamic State" (IS) had acted as a propagandist for IS. His acquaintance Beran A. is said to have planned an attack on a Taylor Swift concert scheduled at the Ernst Happel Stadium in early August 2024.

Two Years Partially Suspended for 19-Year-Old in Vienna Trial

Of the two years, the Iraqi received 18 months suspended. Since pre-trial detention was to be credited against the unconditional part of the sentence of six months, the previously unconvicted individual was released after the trial. He had been in prison continuously since his arrest on August 8. The court ordered probation assistance. Additionally, the 19-year-old must undergo a deradicalization program and regularly present corresponding evidence to the court.

Active as IS Propagandist Since Summer 2023

The then still youthful supporter of the radical Islamist terrorist militia "Islamic State" (IS) had acted as an IS propagandist from August 2023 until his arrest on August 8. He was active on various social media channels, exchanged views with like-minded individuals in several chat groups about his radical ideology, and spread IS content via his TikTok profile to recruit new members for the terrorist militia. He also spread an oath of allegiance to an IS leader.

"These are things that turn your stomach," commented the presiding judge on the videos the defendant had saved on his phones. The 19-year-old had obtained footage of executions and humiliations of IS prisoners, as well as videos showing the throwing of homosexual civilians from rooftops. Additionally, 200 images of child abuse were found, which the prosecutor described as "abhorrent material." These are likely to be the subject of a separate investigation that the 19-year-old will still face.

"At Least Briefly in Direct Contact" with Beran A.

A direct involvement in Beran A.'s attack plans could not be proven against the 19-year-old. "He has no intention of committing any crimes. I consider it exaggerated to associate him with the alleged Swift attacker," said defense attorney Andreas Reichenbach. The prosecutor countered that the defendant was "at least briefly in direct contact" with Beran A. The Iraqi's phone number was also found on Beran A.'s phone. The prosecutor described the closer relationship between the two as "one of many warning signals that flash red." The overall picture of the collected investigation results for the accused 19-year-old is "a rather devastating overall picture."

The defendant justified his connection to Beran A. during the investigation with a search for an apartment. He maintained this stance during the trial. He claimed he only wanted to "assist" him. Both had been looking for accommodation through Wiener Wohnen. He met Beran A. "at a mosque."

19-Year-Old Confesses to Charges

The 19-year-old confessed to the charge of spreading IS material. "Through TikTok, I came across some things. There were things that were nice and logical to me. For example, the veiling," the Iraqi explained. He had come to Austria with his mother and sister - both of whom, incidentally, do not wear headscarves - during the refugee crisis in 2015, where the family applied for asylum. The three settled in Vienna, where the young man attended school. Most recently, he worked as an electrical and building technician.

The 19-year-old assured that he had deradicalized while in custody. He had "only seen but not made" the IS material in question. He was "manipulated": "Everything I did was wrong. I am no longer on this path." After his release, he wants to continue his education and study.

Two Other Acquaintances Imprisoned in Saudi Arabia and Vienna

Two other acquaintances, with whom Beran A. is said to have shared his ideology and pursued concrete terror plans, are now known to the public. One of them is Hasan E., a 20-year-old from the district of Bruck an der Leitha, who carried out an attack on the grounds of the Al-Harām Mosque in Mecca on March 11, 2024. He stabbed five people, some of whom were critically injured. The young Lower Austrian is in custody in Saudi Arabia.

Beran A. and Hasan E. are believed to have known each other and maintained close contact since at least May 2023. Since last February, they are said to have planned simultaneous attacks in Mecca, Dubai, and Istanbul at the beginning of the fasting month of Ramadan with a third IS supporter, about whom nothing further is currently known. While Hasan E. carried out his intentions, Beran A. returned from Dubai without having accomplished anything, where he had gone at the beginning of March. No terror attack occurred in Istanbul either.

Another acquaintance of Beran A. is in pre-trial detention at the Josefstadt prison. The now 18-year-old is said to have had knowledge of his terrorist intentions and bomb-making. The investigations by the Vienna public prosecutor's office against Beran A. and the 18-year-old Viennese are still ongoing.

(APA/Red)

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