Man Sentenced To 12 Years In Prison After Foiled Terror Plot To Attack Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” Concerts In Vienna
UPDATED, 2:55 PM: The man arrested in connection with a terror plot linked to Taylor Swift’s canceled 2024 Eras Tour concerts in Vienna has been found guilty and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Prosecutors alleged that the convicted, known only as Betram A, had pledged all…
UPDATED, 2:55 PM: The man arrested in connection with a terror plot linked to Taylor Swift‘s canceled 2024 Eras Tour concerts in Vienna has been found guilty and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Prosecutors alleged that the convicted, known only as Betram A, had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State terrorist group in the days before the planned attack. He also tried to purchase weapons. Bomb-making materials were discovered after a search of his apartment.
The suspect reportedly admitted guilt at the opening of the trial and expressed regret before his sentencing.
“I would just like to say that I am sorry,” he said, according to the Associated Press.
Two other men who were not involved in the attack have also been arrested. One, a 21-year-old Slovakian man dubbed Arda K, was sentenced to 12-years in prison on terror charges, per the BBC. The third man third man, Hasan E, was arrested in Saudi Arabia and remains in pretrial detention there. They had reportedly planned attacks in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
PREVIOUS, August 9, 2024: Austrian authorities have arrested a third man in a foiled terror plot to attack Taylor Swift’s now-canceled Eras Tour concerts in Vienna.
The suspect, an 18-year-old Iraqi citizen, was taken into custody Thursday night, the Associated Press reports. A 15-year-old also was interrogated, but not arrested, according to the interior minister.
The main suspect, a 19-year-old, hoped to “kill as many people as possible,” authorities said, with plans to attack outside and inside the venue, Ernst-Happel-Stadion.
Franz Ruf, the head of public safety in Austria, said that after a search in one of the suspects’ homes, police found machetes, knives, chemical explosives, ISIS propaganda, and 21,000 euros in counterfeit bills.
PREVIOUS, August 8, 2024: Taylor Swift canceled three shows in Vienna after it was confirmed there was a plot to attack The Eras Tour at Ernst-Happel-Stadion.
More details are emerging after a foiled plan to cause harm at Swift’s shows in Austria was confirmed by authorities.
“The suspects actually had very specific and detailed plans to cause a tragedy on the scale of Paris, Manchester or Moscow,” Karl Nehammer, the chancellor of Austria, said, according to a report from The New York Times.
Nehammer noted that the two suspects arrested wanted a “trail of blood” in the attacks.
Franz Ruf, the head of public safety in Austria, said that after a search in one of the suspects’ homes, police found machetes, knives, chemical explosives, ISIS propaganda, and 21,000 euros in counterfeit bills.
RELATED: Taylor Swift Cancels ‘Eras Tour’ Shows In Vienna After Planned Terrorist Attack
CNN reported that investigators said there was a possibility the suspects planned to run over fans outside of the stadium, obtaining a blue light like the ones found in police vehicles. The network said that the suspects also planned to detonate explosives inside the venue where Swift was set to perform.
Although authorities initially said that the planned shows for this weekend would still happen amid increased security, Swift’s team opted to cancel the concerts instead.
“Taylor Swift The Eras Tour Vienna shows cancelled due to government officials confirmation of planned terrorist attack,” read the statement from Barracuda Music.
The statement continued, “With confirmation from government officials of a planned terrorist attack at Ernest Happel Stadium, we have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety.”
A 19-year-old was detained on Wednesday morning, and a second one was arrested in the afternoon, according to Franz Ruf, director-general for public safety in the Ministry of the Interior, per ABC News.
According to a report from NBC News, one of the suspects allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS, with authorities saying that both men were radicalized online. The suspects were reportedly planning to carry out attacks in Vienna, which included Swift’s concert.
