Austrian Man Convicted of Planning Attack at Taylor Swift Concert in Vienna
The New York Times • • entertainment
Key Points:
- A 21-year-old man, identified as Beran A., was convicted by an Austrian jury for planning a terrorist attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna two years ago and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
- He was also found guilty of terrorism charges related to planning coordinated attacks in Turkey, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia in the name of the Islamic State.
- The conviction followed a 2024 raid in Ternitz, Austria, triggered by a CIA warning, where authorities found bomb-making materials, weapons, counterfeit money, and ISIS propaganda.
- Taylor Swift canceled her three Vienna concerts after the plot was uncovered, disappointing over 150,000 fans who had traveled internationally.
- Separately, another man, Arda K., was convicted and sentenced to 12 years for plotting attacks in the Middle East, while a third suspect is imprisoned in Saudi Arabia.