Austrian Court Sentences Man to 15 Years for Planning Taylor Swift Concert Attack in Vienna
मुख्य बातें
- •A 21-year-old Austrian man, Beran A., was sentenced to 15 years in prison for planning an attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna.
- •The plot involved knives and homemade explosives; the concert was canceled after police found bomb-making materials in the defendant’s apartment.
- •Beran A. admitted guilt during trial and expressed remorse, stating, “I am sorry,” before the court.
- •He had allegedly coordinated with Islamic State members and attempted to illegally acquire weapons ahead of the planned attack.
An Austrian court in Wiener Neustadt on Thursday handed down a 15-year prison sentence to a 21-year-old man, identified only as Beran A. under Austrian privacy laws, for plotting to attack a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna in August 2024. The state court found Beran A. guilty on multiple charges, including terrorism-related offenses and conspiracy to commit murder. The verdict follows a trial during which the defendant publicly expressed remorse, stating in his closing remarks to the court, “I would just like to say that I am sorry.”
According to prosecutors, Beran A. had allegedly planned to target concert-goers outside the Ernst Happel Stadium using knives and homemade explosives. Tens of thousands of Swift fans—known as Swifties—had traveled to Vienna for what were to be three performances as part of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. The concerts were canceled by Austrian authorities just one day before they were scheduled to begin on August 8, 2024, after police raided Beran A.’s apartment the previous day and discovered bomb-making materials. The cancellation left fans devastated, with many gathering in central Vienna to share friendship bracelets and express solidarity.
