Terror plans in Vienna

Convicted boy (17) arrested again

17-year-old received a two-year suspended sentence.

(Bild: Gerhard Bartel, Krone KREATIV)

The 17-year-old had made concrete plans for an attack in Vienna on the Internet last year. Shortly afterwards, he was found with a knife at Vienna Central Station, but abandoned his plans. At his trial in April, he was released after a month in prison. Now the teenager is in custody because of the terror plans.

The teenager who was arrested again on Wednesday for radical Islamist activities has been back in prison since Friday afternoon. He is said to have made relevant postings on social media again.

The public prosecutor's office has confirmed to the "Krone" newspaper that a request has been made for pre-trial detention - due to the risk of committing a crime and suspected membership of a terrorist organization, according to court spokeswoman Christina Salzborn. The detention order is now legally binding.

Attack plan at the main station just barely aborted
The DSN first became aware of the 17-year-old on September 10, 2023 - one day before the planned attack at the main train station. The young IS supporter, who had become radicalized over the internet within a few months, announced to other sympathizers of the radical Islamist terrorist militia in bumpy English on a relevant Telegram channel: "I make inshallah attack in vienna." When asked when he would "make it", he later replied: "Im make today", posting a photo of himself in the chat showing him with a combat knife, gloves and in camouflage clothing in front of an IS logo spray-painted on the wall.

This was reported by a foreign partner service of the DSN - as the current legal situation in Austria does not allow the monitoring of messenger services, the domestic constitutional protectors would hardly have learned of the 17-year-old's intentions on their own. 

Armed with a knife and wearing a camouflage suit, the then 16-year-old made his way to Vienna Central Station, but abandoned his plans shortly afterwards and spent the night in a mosque. After a feverish search for the boy, he was arrested by the WEGA special unit in Vienna's second district.

Members of IS "fight for the truth"
 The boy then revealed what appeared to be his well-established radical ideology during his interrogation before the magistrate. At the time, the 17-year-old was quite open about his terrorist intentions. He described IS as "the most religious group in the world" that does "everything right". Its members would "fight for the truth". He admitted that he had wanted to carry out an attack "just like" the attacker on November 2, 2020, "if I had had the means, i.e. the weapons".

However, due to his young age, he was unable to obtain a firearm and therefore bought a knife with a blade length of 16.5 centimetres for 20 euros. The IS youth wanted to use it to stab several people in the neck at the main train station in accordance with his responsibility, as the Office for the Protection of the Constitution stated in an incident report.

"For me, there should have been more than three or four victims. They shouldn't just have been injured, they should have been killed. I wanted to show that people should fear Allah. I would have shouted Allahu Akbar (God is great) as I stabbed them, so that everyone would know why they were dying. This killing takes me to paradise, it's very nice there and I escape the quarrel with my father," the boy said. He had "no anger towards people in general, but policemen, soldiers and homosexuals should die", the IS supporter added.

Eight months in prison for IS sympathizer
At his trial for terrorist association and criminal organization, he was sentenced to 24 months - eight of which he spent in prison. He had already served almost seven months on remand, which was taken into account - after one month he was released again. After his release, the 17-year-old was accommodated in a supervised shared flat that helps young people to resocialize. He also had to take part in a deradicalization programme.

After his release, however, he is unlikely to have renounced the ideas of IS. "Unfortunately, he had access to a cell phone", commented David Jodlbauer, the legal representative of the young man who was once again suspected of terrorism, on the latest developments.

Suspect had access to cell phone and laptop
It has now emerged that he may not only have had access to that smartphone in the shared flat, but also to a laptop. He is likely to have used these means to continue propaganda for the IS and spread the relevant content. Last Wednesday, he disappeared from the shared flat and was reported missing. Officers from the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence (DSN) are said to have "recaptured" him.