An Austrian court has sentenced a 21-year-old man to 15 years in prison after he admitted planning a foiled Islamist attack targeting a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna in 2024.
The man was arrested on August 7, 2024, just a day before the first of three scheduled concerts by the US pop star, all of which were later cancelled due to the security threat.
He was found guilty of multiple terrorism-related offences after an eight-member jury delivered a largely unanimous verdict on almost all charges.
Court proceedings heard that the accused attempted to illegally obtain weapons, including a machine gun and hand grenade, and tried to produce explosives after following online extremist instructions.
He was also accused of planning attacks abroad earlier in the year, including travel to Middle Eastern cities where he allegedly intended to carry out violent acts but later backed out.
During the trial, he reportedly expressed remorse, telling the court he was sorry before the jury began deliberations.
Another co-defendant in the case was separately sentenced to 12 years in prison after being found guilty on all charges.
