German Court Suspends Teen for Vienna Taylor Swift Concert Attack Plot

A 16-year-old Syrian teenager, identified as Mohammad A., has been sentenced to a suspended 1.5-year prison term in Berlin for his role in a foiled terrorist plot targeting Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna in August 2024. The court found that he was radicalized by ISIS propaganda and had sent bomb-making instructions and facilitated contact with an ISIS member to the main suspect, who planned to use explosives and bladed weapons at the Ernst Happel Stadium. The teenager fully confessed to his involvement, and the sentence aligns with the prosecutors' recommendation under juvenile criminal law. The attack plot led to the cancellation of three Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna. In response, Austria's coalition government implemented measures to monitor suspects' secure messaging, addressing a significant security gap. Investigations into the main suspect, a now 20-year-old Austrian, are ongoing, with authorities still analyzing seized data related to the planned attack.