Man Admits Plot to Attack Taylor Swift's Vienna Concerts
A 21-year-old Austrian man pleaded guilty on Tuesday at the opening of his trial over a planned Islamist attack on Taylor Swift's planned concerts in Vienna in 2024.
Beran A. was arrested on 7 August 2024, the day before the first of three scheduled performances by the American singer. All three shows were subsequently cancelled. Swift described the situation as "devastating".
The case extends beyond the concert plot. Beran A. also faces charges alongside Arda K., a Slovak national, over an alleged plan to carry out attacks in the Middle East, which the two ultimately did not execute. Both men are also accused of providing moral support to a third individual suspected of involvement in a knife attack in Mecca.
Prosecutors allege that Beran A. used Islamic State instructions to construct a shrapnel bomb, produced a small quantity of explosive material and attempted to illegally acquire weapons, including a machine gun and a hand grenade. If convicted, he faces between ten and 20 years in prison.