21-year-old convicted

Radicalized from right-wing extremist to Islamist

The case was heard in the Salzburg court building.

(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

An Austrian (21) made propaganda for terrorists with TikTok videos. The Salzburg provincial court sentenced him - but the man does not have to go to prison. His tendency towards radicalism is particularly remarkable.

He grew up in a village in Flachgau, in a Christian Austrian household - and yet the 21-year-old defendant idolized the inhuman Islamists of the so-called Islamic State. Between 2022 and the end of 2023, the man from Flachgau distributed several videos with IS propaganda via four different TikTok profiles - the 21-year-old also ran a YouTube and a Soundcloud channel. All named after Islamists.

Already on trial for re-activation
Due to this support for terrorism, the public prosecutor accused him of participating in a terrorist organization and a criminal organization. And at the start of the trial on Tuesday, the prosecutor described the man's transformation from a right-wing extremist to an Islamist extremist. After all, the defendant had already been on trial in 2020 for the accusation of re-activation. Reason: swastika graffiti.

After a diversion without a previous conviction, the man from Flachgau met a Turkish woman, married her according to Islamic rites and converted to Islam out of love. Two years and a child later, they separated. This hit him hard psychologically, emphasized defence lawyer Michael Hofer: "His whole family is marked by depression."

The accused used social media platforms such as TikTok to commit crimes.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com/prima91 )

Probably also because of his psyche, he had sought and found orientation: first with the right-wing extremists, then with the Islamists. "He was always looking for a strict ideological home somewhere", Hofer also found. In front of the judges, the bearded man distanced himself from violence and terror, describing his actions as "stupid". Hofer mentioned that he was already taking part in a de-radicalization programme.

He must continue this by court order, the court senate decided, in addition to the sentence of one year's probation. The 21-year-old must also undergo psychotherapy. The verdict is not final.