Radicalized in shared flat

“Terror teen”: authorities ignored warning signs

The responsibility for the radicalization shows a real ping-pong between the authorities. There were numerous signs, but no one intervened.

(Bild: Gerhard Bartel, Krone KREATIV)

The 18-year-old "terror teen" had been free for less than six months when he was arrested for the second time for IS propaganda - he had apparently become radicalized again through friends. Numerous competent authorities were aware of his extremist activities, but despite multiple indications of his radicalization, the authorities did not intervene.

The consequences would have been unimaginable if the then 17-year-old Ali K. had actually carried out his terrorist attack at Vienna Central Station on September 11, 2023. He was already at the scene of the crime with his knife drawn when he lost his courage. He sought refuge in a mosque, where the special unit WEGA was finally able to arrest him.

"The IS (Islamic State, note) is completely wrong," the 17-year-old terror suspect then declared in April 2023 at his trial for terrorist association. His remorse was probably just lip service, as is now clear. Because it was precisely because of his conviction - the dissemination of IS propaganda material - that the boy was arrested again on Friday and has been in custody ever since.

Allied with IS friends in his "free time"
Following his partially suspended prison sentence in Josefstadt prison, the now 18-year-old Ali K. was moved to a shared flat run by the WOBES association - which specializes in deradicalization and resocialization - by order of the court. Support from the probation service of the Neustart association and supervision by the DERAD association were mandatory.

Ali K. may have become radicalized again there - or he may never have renounced IS and used his "free time" to spread IS ideology via social media and join forces with other IS sympathizers. As it turned out on Friday, he apparently had access to a laptop and "unfortunately also to a cell phone" in the shared flat, as his legal representative commented on the suspect's actions. 

We have documented and reported his radicalism and meetings with other extremists. He gets access because he has virtually free time and can meet people without control. He had a flip phone without internet, but the people he meets have that.

DERAD, Organisation für Extremiusmusprävention

"Basically, he shouldn't be at large. But that is up to the competent court," explains the DERAD organization at the request of krone.at, which is responsible for supporting detainees in the area of extremism prevention on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Justice and where Ali K. also had to attend appointments. A move to another shared flat in another federal state was rejected, DERAD explains.

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)

He continued: "We documented and reported his radicalism and meetings with other extremists. He gets access (to laptop and cell phone, note) because he has virtually free time and can meet people without control. He had a flip phone without internet, but the people he meets have that," says the NGO.

It is therefore suspected that Ali K. apparently had friends who may also have extremist links to IS. However, unlike Ali K., they are at large. It is currently unclear whether they are the focus of the investigators.

Charges filed after IS symbols found
Even before his release to the deradicalization flat, there were signs of a possible repeat offence, as the Ministry of Justice confirmed to krone.at. Why this had no consequences for Ali K. remains questionable - especially as IS symbols were found in the Josefstadt prison during his detention. 

By default, a report was made to the public prosecutor's office and the Directorate for State Security and Intelligence (DSN).

Das Bundesministerium für Justiz über den Fund von IS-Symbolen

During so-called Joint Action Days, radicalized criminals are thoroughly searched. In the course of this priority action, the specific offender Ali K. was also thoroughly searched in the Josefstadt prison - various symbols and signs were found in the inmate's cell. "As a standard procedure, a report was made to the public prosecutor's office and the Directorate for State Security and Intelligence (DSN)", according to the Ministry of Justice.

The Directorate for State Security and Intelligence (DSN) refers to the public prosecutor's office, as the responsibility in this case lies with the judiciary. As soon as a new suspicion arises, it will be reviewed, but the court will decide on a possible new pre-trial detention. Due to data protection regulations, the DSN was unable to confirm whether further investigations were initiated in the case of Ali K. following a report by the DERAD organization and the Ministry of Justice.

Authorities looked the other way despite numerous signs
DERAD confirmed that there had been a judicial case conference before Ali K.'s release to the residential community for resocialization, but that they "cannot provide any substantive information". Representatives of the DSN and the State Offices for State Security and Counter-Extremism and the Coordination Office for the Prevention of Extremism and Deradicalization are required to attend these case conferences after they have been convened by the competent prison court.

"The prerequisite for considering the conditional release of terrorist offenders is a clear assessment of their potential danger," explains the Ministry of Justice. Despite numerous indications and reports, the court assessed Ali K.'s risk as not high enough and released him to the deradicalization flat - a decision that apparently gave him free rein to re-radicalize to IS.