Austrian man jailed for 15 years over plot to attack Taylor Swift concert in Vienna

VIENNA — A 21-year-old Austrian man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for planning an attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna during the US singer’s Eras tour in August 2024. The man, named only as Beran A in line with Austrian privacy laws, was also found guilty of a string of other terrorism-related offenses. Beran A, whose last name has not been made public in accordance with Austrian privacy rules, was arrested on August 7, 2024, after a tip-off from the CIA just before the first of three sold-out Taylor Swift concerts was due to take place in Vienna’s Ernst Happl stadium. All three dates were then canceled, to the dismay of fans and of Swift, who wrote afterwards that it was “devastating.” Shortly after the foiled attack, Swift said it had filled her with “a new sense of fear” — and that the cancellations left her with a “tremendous amount of guilt”. But the US mega-star added on Instagram: “I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives.” While crowds of disappointed fans sang together in Vienna then to console themselves, neither Swift nor any “Swifties” appeared at the trial in Wiener Neustadt, a town south of Vienna. Beran A pleaded guilty to charges related to the planned attack, which carried a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. He covered his face with a ring binder as he entered the courtroom to avoid being identifiable in pictures. “I would just like to say that I am sorry,” he said in a final statement after closing arguments on Thursday, before the jury retired for several hours to consider its verdicts. Prosecutors said Beran A had become radicalised and had sworn allegiance to Islamic State (IS). They said he tried but had not succeeded in buying weapons illegally, including a machine gun and a hand grenade. Court psychiatrist Peter Hoffmann said Beran A showed no signs of mental illness, adding that there was “no psychiatric explanation” for his radicalisation. He was on trial with another 21-year-old man named as Arda K from Slovakia, accused of being part of an IS cell. Arda K, who was not involved in the plot against the concert, was sentenced to 12 years in prison.