A Syrian teenager is set to go on trial for his alleged involvement in planning a terror attack on a Taylor Swift concert in the Austrian capital.
“Mohammad A” faces charges of preparing a “severe subversive act of violence” and supporting a foreign terrorist organisation, largely by translating an Arabic-language video on bomb-building, which he then sent to “Beran A,” who was aged 19 at the time. Lawyers for “Beran” claim that he just wanted to look “cool” and posed no serious threat. The discovery of contact details for “Mohammad A” among Beran’s possessions led to the teenager being investigated.
Prosecutors now say Mohammad A was a follower of Islamic State ideology by April 2024 at the latest. He sent a text message to a fellow plot conspirator in Austria that contained a loyalty oath to the proscribed terror group. The behind-closed-doors trial, conducted in secret due to the suspect’s age, began on Monday, July 14th, and is expected to last until at least August 26th.
The bomb plot forced the cancellation of Swift’s tour dates in Austria. It fits in with wider trends, from a growing tide of Islamist-linked violence in Europe to the specific targeting by Islamists of young girls having fun.
