An Austrian court has convicted a man of planning to attack a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna nearly two years ago.
The state court in Wiener Neustadt found the 21-year-old defendant, an Austrian citizen known only as Beran A. in line with Austrian privacy rules, guilty on charges including those related to the concert, the Austria Press Agency reported.
He told the Austrian court that he was sorry earlier Thursday before the verdict was delivered. The plot was thwarted, but Austrian authorities still canceled Swift’s three performances in August 2024.
The defendant faced charges including terrorist offenses and membership in a terrorist organization. His defense attorney said he pleaded guilty to the charges related to the concert plot during the opening day of the trial last month. He could face up to 20 years in prison.
Tens of thousands of Taylor Swift fans, known as Swifties, had traveled to Austria to attend the performances of the American singer’s record-setting Eras Tour. Devastated by the cancellations, many gathered in central Vienna to trade friendship bracelets and commiserate about the cancellations.
Beran A. was said to have networked with other members of the Islamic State group ahead of the planned attack. Prosecutors have said they discussed purchasing weapons and making bombs, and that the defendant also sought to illegally buy weapons in the days ahead of the performance, as well as swearing allegiance to the militant group.
He was on trial alongside Arda K., whose full name also has not been made public. They, along with a third man who was arrested and remains in pretrial detention in Saudi Arabia, allegedly planned to carry out simultaneous attacks in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates during Ramadan 2024 in the name of IS.
Only Beran A. was charged in connection with the concert plot. He pleaded not guilty to the charges related to the plot for simultaneous attacks.
In closing arguments Thursday at the state court in Wiener Neustadt, south of Vienna, prosecutors called for the men’s conviction, according to the Austria Press Agency.
Beran A.’s defense lawyer, Anna Mair, told the court that her client was “not an ideological mastermind.”
In short final words to the court before it adjourned to consider a verdict, Beran A. said: “I would just like to say that I am sorry.”
