"Reasons for connection"

Terror plans: Vienna public prosecutor’s office now investigating

The Vienna public prosecutor's office

(Bild: justiz.gv.at)

After Taylor Swift's canceled concerts due to suspected plans to attack the Taylor Swift concert series, the jurisdiction has changed: The investigation is now being taken over by the Vienna Public Prosecutor's Office.

"The public prosecutor's office in Wiener Neustadt has assigned the proceedings to us," confirmed Nina Bussek, spokesperson for the Vienna prosecution authority. The main reason for this was "reasons of connectivity", she explained. 

Suspects come from Lower Austria
A 19-year-old from Ternitz (district of Neunkirchen), who is accused of wanting to kill concertgoers in front of the Happel Stadium with an explosive device and stabbing weapons in the name of the radical Islamist terror militia "Islamic State" (IS), and a 17-year-old allegedly involved in the attack, who was also registered in Ternitz, are being investigated for terrorist cleansing and criminal organization.

Search for evidence in the house of the alleged attack planner in Lower Austria.

(Bild: Monatsrevue/Lenger Thomas)

Third youth probably not involved
According to Bussek, at least one of the two suspects is connected to a young person who is already under investigation in Vienna. As things stand at present, there are no indications that this young person was involved in the attack plans. For formal reasons, however, the Wiener Neustadt public prosecutor's office believes that these conditions are sufficient to change jurisdiction.

The juvenile for whom the proceedings are being transferred to Vienna is not a 15-year-old who was initially stopped by the police in connection with the alleged terrorist attack the previous week and who is being led as a witness, nor is he an 18-year-old Iraqi who has been in custody in Vienna since last weekend because he is said to have possessed IS propaganda material and sworn allegiance to IS. This was emphasized by Silke Pernsteiner, spokeswoman for the public prosecutor's office in Wiener Neustadt. It is likely to be another acquaintance of the 19-year-old, who is also well known or friends with the 15-year-old and the Iraqi, who is three years older.

Swift consoles herself with a party in London
So far, the singer has not commented publicly on the cancellation of her Vienna concerts - which has led to criticism. Apparently Swift wanted to console her employees after the cancellation of the concert series in Austria. She was seen celebrating a party with her crew in London.