Propaganda posted?

Terror teen in custody again: “It was all a mistake”

The then 17-year-old IS supporter in court.

(Bild: Gerhard Bartel, Krone KREATIV)

On September 11, 2023, Ali K. wanted to carry out a terrorist attack at Vienna Central Station. On April 11, he was sentenced to a partially suspended prison sentence. The now 18-year-old was not released for six months - he is now serving another sentence on terror charges. However, this was a mistake, his lawyer Rudolf Mayer told the newspaper "Krone".

"Do you still think so?" - "No." This is how the now 18-year-old answered the judge's question about his radical views at his trial in April. However, this is probably not entirely true - once again, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution found relevant material posted by Ali K. After just six months in freedom, he is now back in custody. 

Shared flat and therapy instructions
Once again, the charges of terrorist association and criminal organization are at stake. It was only on April 11 that he was given a partially conditional prison sentence of 24 months, eight of which were actually spent in prison. The 18-year-old was released again in mid-May because his time in custody was taken into account. Ali K. moved into a shared flat run by the WOBES association, where he had a list of instructions that he had to follow. 

Lawyer Rudolf Mayer defends the convicted IS supporter.

(Bild: Reinhard Holl)

Individual therapies, regular reports to the police and appointments with Derad - a deradicalization programme that he has had to take part in since his first arrest. And with whom there was also good cooperation, his defense lawyer Rudolf Mayer told the "Krone" newspaper. Ali K. had quickly settled into the shared flat and felt very comfortable with the therapies.

"This is all a mistake"
He was also arrested there by the police last Tuesday around half past seven in the evening. "He is completely dumbfounded. It's all a mistake," Mayer wants to make clear after visiting his client in custody. On the one hand, the investigation was about a livestream with other young people. However, it was not about IS, but about a new organization in Africa. On the other hand, propaganda postings would appear on his social media account. However, the convicted IS supporter had nothing to do with them.

Instead of sitting in his dormitory room, Ali K. is now back in a cell in Josefstadt prison for at least two weeks. Then there will be a first pre-trial detention examination. Lawyer Rudolf Mayer: "We'll see whether there's anything to the allegations - or not."

Before the aborted attack at the main station, Ali K. sent these messages.

(Bild: zVg, Krone KREATIV)

(Bild: zVg, Krone KREATIV)

(Bild: zVg, Krone KREATIV)

Planned terrorist attack at the main station
The then 17-year-old was last arrested shortly after 11 September 2023 - probably the peak of his radicalization. The teenager tried to buy a gun with 500 euros - but he was too young. So he equipped himself with cycling gloves, a T-shirt in camouflage colors, a gilet with cut-off headphone cables - intended to imitate a bomb jacket - and a knife. He took the subway to Vienna Central Station with the intention of stabbing "infidels".

"In the end, it's a huge stroke of luck that his courage failed him. Otherwise we would be sitting here for something completely different", said the public prosecutor at the trial against Ali K. At the station, the 17-year-old decided to turn around and not carry out his plan. That is why he was not convicted for the planned terrorist attack.