Balaclava and knife

Chats contradict statements: “Didn’t know”

Compared to the photo of the perpetrator that surfaced after the planned attack, Beran A. has significantly trimmed his beard.(Bild: Krone, Krone KREATIV)

The 21-year-old main defendant, Beran A., made a partial confession at the start of the trial on Tuesday. However, he denies involvement in an attempted murder in Mecca. You can follow all key developments from the courtroom via the krone.at live ticker.

Key points at a glance: 

• The focus is on concrete attack plans in several countries as well as the planned attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna. According to the indictment, the 21-year-old specifically sought out weapons, established contacts with ISIS members, and built a nearly finished bomb. The defense speaks of a partial confession and points to his past.

• The start of the terrorism trial is overshadowed by technical issues: a break must be taken even before proceedings begin. In the courtroom, there are clear differences between the defendants—while Beran A. appears calm and at times composed, his co-defendant seems visibly shaken. 

• If convicted of aiding and abetting attempted murder in Mecca, both 21-year-olds face ten to 20 years in prison. The potential sentence is lower for the part of the trial concerning the planned attack on the Taylor Swift concert. Verdicts are expected on May 21.
• Together with Arda K.—who is also sitting in the dock in Wiener Neustadt on charges of aiding and abetting—Beran A. and Hasan E. planned a series of attacks in Dubai, Istanbul, and Mecca. Hasan E. carried out his plan in the Grand Mosque. He is currently in custody in Saudi Arabia and faces the death penalty.

Follow the krone.at live ticker:

What began as an international terror alert and led to the cancellation of several major concerts by U.S. global superstar Taylor Swift is now coming to a head in court: Beran A. is considered the mastermind and is a prime suspect in planning an attack on a Taylor Swift concert in August 2024.

Knife attack in Mecca
According to the prosecutor, he also allegedly planned a triple attack on “unbelievers” in the spring of 2024, together with co-defendant Arda K. and Hasan E., who is currently in custody in Saudi Arabia, in Dubai, Istanbul, and Mecca. Hasan E. carried out the plan and committed a knife attack on a security officer in front of the Holy Mosque. 

“Terrorist attack in the name of ISIS”
After returning from Dubai, Beran A. searched for new potential targets. “By July 21, 2024, at the latest, he had decided to carry out a terrorist attack in the name of ISIS at the planned concert by American singer Taylor Swift on August 9, 2024, in Vienna,” the indictment states. On August 7, 2024, he was arrested following a search of his apartment.