German courtroom convicts teen for supporting plot to assault Taylor Swift’s followers at Vienna concert events

A German courtroom on Tuesday convicted a 16-year-old boy of supporting a foiled plot to assault Taylor Swift concert events in Austria final 12 months.

The Syrian nationwide, whom prosecutors have recognized solely as Mohammad A. consistent with German privateness guidelines, was convicted of making ready a critical act of violence and supporting a terrorist act of violence overseas. The Berlin courtroom gave him a suspended 18-month sentence.

Austrian officers stated stated he had deliberate to assault outdoors the stadium with knives or explosives. CIA Deputy Director David Cohen stated final 12 months that the suspects needed to kill “tens of hundreds” of Swift’s followers.

The defendant made a “complete confession” at his trial, which was held behind closed doorways due to his age, based on the courtroom. The decision might be appealed.  

Judges discovered that the defendant, then aged 14, supported the ideology of the Islamic State group on the time and was involved by way of social media with a younger man in neighboring Austria who deliberate to assault a Swift live performance in Vienna.

The courtroom stated they discovered that, amongst different issues, the defendant despatched his acquaintance a video with bomb-building directions and arranged contact with an IS member.

Austrian authorities on Aug. 7, 2024, arrested two suspects simply earlier than three Swift concert events in Vienna had been canceled. Live performance organizers in Austria stated that they had anticipated as much as 65,000 followers contained in the stadium at every live performance and as many as 30,000 onlookers outdoors, the place authorities stated the suspects deliberate to strike.

Austrian authorities took a 3rd suspect into custody a day later and investigators stated they discovered bomb-making supplies at one of many suspects’ properties.