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A court in Wiener Neustadt near Vienna is set to announce its decision on Thursday in the trial of Beran A., a 21-year-old accused of planning a terrorist attack at a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna in 2024. He has admitted guilt to all but one charge and could face up to 20 years in prison.
The case began in the summer of 2024, when Austrian officials discovered a plan to attack Swift's sold-out shows at Vienna's Ernst-Happel-Stadion during her "Eras" tour. After the threat became known, all three Vienna concerts were canceled. Beran A. was arrested a day before the first concert and has been in custody since then.
Prosecutors say Beran A., along with another 21-year-old named Arda K. and a third Austrian, Hasan E., who is now in prison in Saudi Arabia, formed a "highly dangerous" Daesh terror cell planning several attacks. Beran A. went on trial last month for terrorism and related charges.
During his testimony, Beran A. said he believed he had a duty to commit violence for Daesh, but also admitted he was "afraid to die." He explained that he chose the crowded Ernst Happel Stadium as his target during Swift's concert and looked for bomb-making and weapons advice in online chat groups and from a senior Daesh member. He said he tried to build a bomb but failed.
Prosecutors claim Beran A. has been part of a terrorist group since 2023, sharing IS propaganda on different messaging apps. They also say he encouraged Hasan E. to stab a security officer in Mecca in 2024. Hasan E. reportedly injured four people before being stopped and arrested. Beran A. denies encouraging that attack.
U.S. intelligence helped stop the planned attack on the Vienna concert. Afterward, Swift spoke about the cancellations on social media, saying the reason made her feel scared and guilty toward fans who had planned to come.
The trial is expected to end on Thursday with statements from two expert witnesses and closing arguments. After that, the jury will give its verdict, according to defense lawyer Anna Mair. Beran A. has admitted guilt to all charges except being an accomplice to attempted murder. If he is found not guilty of that charge, his maximum sentence would drop to 10 years, which his lawyer called an "immense difference."
Arda K. is also on trial in this case. In a related case last year in Berlin, a Syrian teenager was found guilty of helping with the attack plan and received an 18-month suspended sentence.
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