Wanted 10,000 euros

35-year-old tortured: prison sentences for six Syrians

The young defendants are surrounded by prison guards.

(Bild: Sophie Pratschner, Krone KREATIV)

Six young men used mafia-like methods to extract 10,000 euros from a 35-year-old man - the sum is said to have been owed to the victim. The panel of lay judges cannot rule this out. Nevertheless, the Syrians received prison sentences that were not legally binding. 

For hours, six young men held a 35-year-old Syrian man in an apartment on Währinger Gürtel. There, the defendants literally tortured their victim: they threatened him with electric shocks from a torn-off cable, pressed a wet cloth over his face several times until he could no longer breathe and held a hot knife to him, just so that they would not burn him.

Money as a motive for violence
Why these mafia-like methods? The Syrians, aged between 21 and 29, wanted 10,000 euros from their compatriot. While the victim claimed on the first day of the trial at the Vienna Regional Court that he did not know the accused men and was completely surprised by the violent attack, the defense lawyers presented a completely different picture: The 35-year-old had been working as a money courier for the Hawala system.

For a commission, he took care of money transfers to and from Syria, for example. He owed the sum demanded to acquaintances and family members of the accused. 

Lawyers Andreas Reichenbach (left) and Alexander Philipp are defending two of the accused.

(Bild: Sophie Pratschner)

Defense lawyers Andreas Reichenbach and Alexander Philipp are convinced that there was no intent to enrich and therefore no attempt at robbery or extortion. Only bodily harm had taken place. But even then, none of the young men felt really guilty. They all tried to minimize their contribution to the crime before the jury. 

They were partially successful: the six were acquitted of the charges of attempted robbery and extortion. They were found guilty of aggravated coercion, attempted grievous bodily harm in conspiracy and deprivation of liberty. The Syrians, some of whom have previous convictions, have been sentenced to between 21 and 42 months in prison. The sentences are not final.