Side act before trial

The brutal environment of the Viennese machete murderers

A North African man was killed with such a machete at the end of April 2020.

(Bild: LPD)

On Friday, the brutal murder of an Algerian man will be heard in Vienna's provincial court - he is said to have been literally dismembered by three men with a machete. A verdict has already been reached in a secondary act of the bloody case - and frightening insights before the murder trial.

On April 20, 2023, a 32-year-old man was literally dismembered at the Jägerstraße subway station in Vienna-Brigittenau. The murder weapon: a machete that almost severed the victim's limbs. From Friday, four Algerians will have to answer for the murder of their compatriot in Vienna's regional court.

Power struggles and territorial disputes 
A secondary act in the bloody case has already been dealt with. The victim was part of a North African drug dealer group. One of his cannabis sources - a 36-year-old Algerian - has already been sentenced to three and a half years in prison in Vienna for passing on 30 kilograms of narcotics. "As well as some serious assaults recorded on video," confirms his defense lawyer Christian Werner.

There were power struggles, turf wars and disputes within the association regarding the drug revenues. These disputes repeatedly led to violence.

Staatsanwaltschaft in der Anklageschrift

The act gives an idea of the brutality that took place within the group of perpetrators - of which the 32-year-old was also a victim. "Within the group, there were power struggles, territorial disputes and disputes about drug revenues. These disputes were repeatedly conducted by means of violence," the public prosecutor's office writes in the indictment against the convicted dealer. And also hints that around 200 other people are being investigated for drugs and violence - including murder ...

Lawyer Christian Werner defended the drug dealer of the 32-year-old machete victim.

(Bild: Klemens Groh)

Killed by his own street vendors
The four accused machete murderers were also part of this ruthless group of drug dealers. Three of the men (25, 22, 21) even worked for their later victim as street vendors. According to the public prosecutor's office, a dispute in connection with the drug deals was ultimately the death sentence for the Algerian.

If convicted of murder, three of them face up to life imprisonment. One of the Algerians was under 21 years old at the time of the crime and could therefore only be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.