A young man accused of having links to the Islamic State extremist group and planning an attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna has pleaded guilty at the start of his trial.
According to his lawyer, the suspect – a 21-year-old Austrian identified as Beran A. – has pleaded guilty to charges related to the plot, expressing deep remorse and calling it “the biggest mistake of his life.”
The attack plan was discovered and prevented by the authorities, but nevertheless, Austrian authorities decided to cancel the artist's three planned concerts in August 2024 in Vienna, as a security measure.
The defendant faces several criminal charges, including terrorism and membership in a terrorist organization, and faces up to 20 years in prison. He has been in custody since August 2024.
According to the prosecution, he had planned to attack the crowds outside the Ernst Happel Stadium, where up to 30 people were expected to gather outside and about 65 inside each night. His aim, according to authorities, was to cause as many casualties as possible, using knives or improvised explosive devices.
Investigations also revealed that he had communicated with other members of the Islamic State and had discussed buying weapons and building bombs. During a search of his apartment, police found materials for making explosives.
The case has brought back memories of the tragic 2017 attack at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, which killed 22 people, one of the deadliest attacks in Britain in recent memory.
The trial is taking place in Wiener Neustadt, south of Vienna, and is expected to continue on May 12. Meanwhile, other people suspected of similar attack plans in various countries during 2024 have also been included in the process. /GazetaExpress/
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