Investigation Successes and Initial Verdicts After "Gang War" in Vienna

The Vienna Public Prosecutor's Office is conducting three separate investigations into the violent riots that originated in Brigittenau. On July 5, Syrians and Chechens met in Anton-Kummerer-Park at around 9:45 pm to attack each other with wooden slats, pepper sprays, knives and firearms. In the outright Wild West scenes - at least six shots were fired - three men of Syrian origin were seriously injured. They had to be taken to hospitals by the rescue services. Three Chechens aged 28, 29 and 30 are being investigated for attempted murder in this context.

Two Chechens in Custody Since End of August

The oldest of them was arrested just a few hours after the violence. He is said to have driven several suspects to the crime scene with his BMW and committed further acts of complicity. The man - who has a high school diploma and was last working as a project manager - has so far remained silent about the allegations against him. The other two Chechens were identified after meticulous investigations by the state criminal police office. They have been in custody since August 20 and 21, respectively. "We expect this investigation to be completed by the end of the year," Judith Ziska, spokeswoman for the Vienna Public Prosecutor's Office, told APA.

The judicial authorities are already further along with several Syrians who wanted to take revenge for the beating they received in Anton-Kummerer-Park and stormed into a bar in Burghardtgasse in Brigittenau armed with knives, where they had followed a young Chechen. A video from the surveillance camera shows the Chechen running into the bar, panicking and locking the door behind him, shouting "Don't let them in!" A few seconds later, three partially masked Syrians - one with a bare upper body and a t-shirt wrapped around his head - appear and threaten to kill the Chechen: "By Allah, I will stab you in the head!" This is followed by a scuffle.

Three Syrians Convicted in First Instance for "Retaliation Action"

Three involved Syrians, who had each been charged with dangerous threats and attempted intentional grievous bodily harm, have already been held accountable in the first instance. However, they were only convicted of dangerous threats, as the directly threatened Chechen could not be identified and it therefore remained unclear whether and to what extent he was injured at all. A 34-year-old was sentenced to nine months unconditional, two 19-year-old compatriots also nine months unconditional and seven months, two of which were unconditional. This was confirmed by court spokeswoman Christina Salzborn to APA. All three men had previous convictions, which was considered an aggravating factor in the sentencing.

A fourth Syrian had to answer for himself at the regional court for criminal matters on Monday. He had positioned himself - also masked - at the entrance of the bar and, according to the indictment, had performed lookout services, which the public prosecutor's office blamed him for contributing to the dangerous threat. "I plead not guilty. The people inside the bar were not my friends. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time," said the 19-year-old.

19-Year-Old Acquitted

The defendant claimed that he happened to be on Jägerstraße at the time, heard a commotion, and followed the voices. "In the Arab world, it's common for everyone to gather around," his defense attorney said. Her client had been in the bar by chance and had not participated in any criminal activities. When asked why he had run away before the police arrived, the 19-year-old replied, "So that no one can accuse me of having anything to do with it."

Although the judge spoke of the defendant's "flowery attempts at explanation", he was acquitted in the end. His responsibility could not be disproven with the certainty required for a criminal trial. The evidence was not sufficient for a conviction. The prosecutor did not initially make a statement, so the acquittal is not yet legally binding.

26 Suspects in Mass Brawl at Vienna-Meidling Station

The third investigation pending at the Vienna prosecution authority concerns a mass brawl at Meidling station, where the victims were pursued and attacked with a knife, a hammer, telescopic batons, and knuckle dusters after prior agreement on July 7. Five men suffered serious injuries. In this context, the public prosecutor's office is investigating 26 suspects for intentional grievous bodily harm. According to the spokesperson for the authorities, Ziska, two suspects, a 24-year-old Chechen and a 17-year-old with roots in former Yugoslavia, are currently still in pre-trial detention.

The 17-year-old also faces proceedings for membership in a terrorist organization and a criminal organization. He is considered a supporter of the radical Islamist terrorist organization "Islamic State" (IS) and is suspected of being an accomplice of a 19-year-old who is accused of planning a terrorist attack on a concert by Taylor Swift scheduled for August 9 at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna. The alleged attack plans were thwarted following a tip-off from abroad. The two young men were arrested, and the Vienna Taylor Swift concert series - the artist was supposed to perform three nights in a row - was cancelled.

(APA/Red)

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