In Austria, a high-profile trial is set to commence on Tuesday involving a man accused of plotting a terrorist attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna nearly two years ago. This individual allegedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, leading to a significant security threat that authorities managed to avert.
Despite the plot being foiled, Austrian officials took the precautionary step of canceling Swift’s three scheduled performances in August 2024. The decision left Swift’s dedicated fanbase, known as the Swifties, heartbroken. Many had traveled from around the world to witness her record-breaking Eras Tour in Vienna. However, the fans transformed their disappointment into a communal celebration, turning the city into a lively hub for exchanging friendship bracelets and impromptu singalongs.
The accused, a 21-year-old Austrian citizen identified as Beran A. to comply with privacy laws, faces serious charges that include terrorist offenses and affiliation with a terrorist organization. If convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
On the eve of the trial, defense attorney Anna Mair disclosed to The Associated Press that her client intends to plead guilty to most of the accusations, though she did not clarify which specific charges he will contest.
He could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.
His defense attorney, Anna Mair, on Monday told The Associated Press that her client plans to plead guilty to most of the charges but she did not specify which ones.
He allegedly planned to target onlookers gathered outside Ernst Happel Stadium — up to 30,000 each night, with another 65,000 inside the venue — with knives or homemade explosives. The suspect hoped to “kill as many people as possible,” authorities said in 2024.
The US provided intelligence that fed into the decision to cancel the concerts.
Beran A. also allegedly networked with other members of the Islamic State group ahead of the planned attack.
Prosecutors say they discussed purchasing weapons and making bombs, and that the defendant also sought to illegally buy weapons in the days ahead of the performance. In addition, he swore allegiance to the militant group.
Authorities searched his apartment on Aug. 7, 2024 and found bomb-making materials. The concerts were scheduled to begin the next day.
“Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating,” Swift wrote in a statement posted to Instagram two weeks later. “The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows.”
The trial is being held in Wiener Neustadt, about an hour south of Vienna. The proceedings are set to continue May 12.
Three attacks planned in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and UAE
Prosecutors have also filed terrorism-related charges against Arda K., whose full name also has not been made public, in the trial.
Prosecutors allege that Beran A. and Arda K., along with another man referred to as Hasan E., planned to carry out simultaneous attacks in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates during Ramadan in 2024 in the name of IS.
Hasan E. allegedly stabbed a security guard with a knife at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on March 11, 2024.
He was arrested and remains in pre-trial detention in Saudi Arabia, Austrian prosecutors said.
Beran A. and Arda K. did not carry out their plans in Turkey and the UAE. Beran A. returned to Vienna and then allegedly began plotting to attack a Swift concert there.
The Vienna plot drew comparisons to a 2017 attack by a suicide bomber at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, that killed 22 people. The bomb detonated at the end of Grande’s concert as thousands of young fans were leaving, becoming the deadliest extremist attack in the United Kingdom in recent years.
