A man accused of plotting to attack a Tyler Swift concert in Vienna in 2024 has gone on trial in a court south of the Austrian capital.
The 21-year-old suspect faces charges including terrorist crimes and could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.
The proceedings began recently, focusing on their alleged plans to target the singer’s August 2024 performance.
The trial over a foiled 2024 terror plot against Taylor Swift’s Vienna concert has revealed chilling details of the planned attack and the suspects involved.
Twenty-year-old Beran A. and his co-defendant Arda K. are on trial for their roles in an Islamic State (IS) cell, and Beran N. is expected to plead guilty to some degree.
Prosecutors have accused the pair of membership in a terrorist organization and planning a massacre using TATP shrapnel bombs specifically designed for IS-style attacks. Beyond Vienna, the cell is accused of planning further attacks in Istanbul and Dubai.
Both men face up to 20 years in prison if convicted, with the trial expected to conclude in late May.
The singer admitted that for the first time in 20 years she felt a new sense of fear for the safety of her fans. Three sold-out shows at Ernst Happel Stadium were canceled after the CIA identified the plot, leaving more than 195,000 fans disappointed.
Despite the trauma of the Vienna incident, the tour became the first tour in history to surpass $1 billion in sales, ending in December 2024 after 149 shows. Beran A was arrested on August 7, 2024, just one day before the first scheduled concert.
Meanwhile, a Syrian teenager in Germany was given a suspended sentence for translating the first bomb-making instructions and linking Beran A with IS members.
Prosecutors also alleged that Beran A and Arda K had previously planned simultaneous attacks in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates during Ramadan, but never carried them out.
