After Terror Attack in Mecca: No New Information in the Case of Hasan E.

According to the latest information, the main trial against Hasan E. was supposed to take place in Riyadh on May 7, after the Saudi authorities had filed charges on nine counts. However, it is unclear whether the trial took place.

Neither the Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor the Vienna Public Prosecutor's Office could provide information to the APA on whether the trial against the alleged supporter of the radical Islamic terrorist militia "Islamic State" (IS) had been opened and with what result it might have ended or in what stage of proceedings it is. "We have no new information on the criminal proceedings and the potential sentence," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated. "The Public Prosecutor's Office also has no new information," said the spokeswoman for the Vienna Prosecutor's Office, Nina Bussek, on Thursday.

After Terrorist Attack in Mecca: Lower Austrian Imprisoned in High-Security Prison Dhahban

According to APA information, Hasan E. is housed in the Saudi Arabian high-security prison Dhahban, a facility for 7,500 inmates, where political prisoners, as well as supporters of IS and other terrorist organizations, are held. Human rights organizations Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have repeatedly reported abuses and torture of inmates, which the Saudi authorities deny.

At least until the end of March, Hasan E. was allowed to call his mother, who lives in Istanbul, once a week. Beyond that, the 20-year-old was apparently not allowed regular external contacts. However, Interpol officers are said to have visited him in prison in mid-March and questioned him, among other things, about his knowledge of the allegedly thwarted attack on the Taylor Swift concert in Vienna.

Recently, Hasan E. is said to have expressed the desire to be moved to another cell, as there were acts of violence in his detention room. He also requested access to a Bible.

Vienna Public Prosecutor's Office Also Investigating 20-Year-Old

The Vienna Public Prosecutor's Office is also conducting proceedings against Hasan E. Investigations are underway for terrorist association and criminal organization because he is alleged to have been part of an IS terror network surrounding the thwarted Swift attacker Beran A. The latter is suspected of having planned a terrorist attack during a performance by pop diva Taylor Swift on August 9, 2024, at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna. He was able to be arrested shortly before the concert date by the Directorate of State Protection and Intelligence (DSN) following a tip-off from abroad.

Knife Attack on the Grounds of the World's Largest Mosque

At that time, Hasan E. had already been in prison in Saudi Arabia for almost five months. The previous year, at the beginning of the fasting month of Ramadan, he had stabbed a security guard in the neck on the grounds of the world's largest mosque, where the Kaaba, the central sanctuary of Islam, is located, and critically injured the man. When his colleagues tried to overpower the young Lower Austrian, he injured four more people, including a mosque visitor, by stabbing them.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is, according to its own statements, in contact with the alleged terrorist and offers consular support in the form of prison visits. They are also in ongoing communication with the family and the Saudi authorities. Due to data protection reasons, no details are generally communicated, it was recently stated to the APA.

In Saudi Arabia, the death penalty is applied. According to Amnesty International, the number of executions increased significantly last year: While 172 people were executed in 2023, there was nearly a doubling to 345 executions in 2024.

(APA/Red)

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