Austrian Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Plotting Terror Attack on Taylor Swift Concert

Central News Agency (CNA), Wiener Neustadt, May 28. A 21-year-old man who admitted to planning a terror attack on US pop star Taylor Swift's 2024 concert was sentenced to 15 years in prison by an Austrian court today. The court found him guilty of multiple charges, primarily related to terrorism. Taylor Swift's 'Eras' tour was scheduled for three shows in Vienna in the summer of 2024 but was cancelled after authorities warned of a plot. The suspect, identified as Beran A., an Austrian citizen, was arrested on August 7, 2024, the day before the scheduled concert. Beran A. was charged with planning an attack and organizing an Islamic State (IS) cell. He pleaded guilty to all charges except complicity in attempted murder. Before the jury deliberated, he said, 'I just want to say, I am sorry.' The eight-member jury found him guilty of 13 out of 15 charges, with the remaining two being minor offenses like promoting IS ideology. The court found that Beran A. attempted to illegally purchase weapons like machine guns and grenades and manufactured a small amount of TATP explosive based on IS instructions. He was also accused of conspiring with two classmates to carry out 'lone wolf' attacks in Middle Eastern cities earlier in 2024. He and accomplice Arda K. admitted to preparing for attacks in Dubai and Istanbul but did not follow through. When the trial began last month, Beran A. testified that he looked for targets in Dubai in March 2024 but gave up due to a panic attack. After returning to Vienna, he decided to 'do it more thoroughly' and chose the concert as his target. Arda K. was also found guilty on all charges and sentenced to 12 years. Both lawyers said they have not decided whether to appeal. A third suspect remains in custody in Saudi Arabia for allegedly stabbing a security guard at the Grand Mosque in Mecca.