23-Year-Old Charged with Terrorism After Villach Attack

A 14-year-old died in the attack, and five people were seriously injured, some critically. The man has confessed, and investigations have not revealed any accomplices. He faces 20 years in prison or life imprisonment.

Villach Attack on February 15

The 23-year-old asylum seeker from Syria is said to have randomly stabbed people standing nearby with a folding knife near the main square of Villach on February 15, before being hit by a car driven by a fellow Syrian, thus stopping him. Since his arrest at the scene, the man has been in pre-trial detention.

He is accused of both murder and attempted murder, with the acts being capable of causing a serious disruption to public life, according to the public prosecutor's office. He acted "with the intent to intimidate the civilian population, which does not follow the goals of the terrorist organization Islamic State, in a serious way."

Date for Jury Trial Not Yet Set

The trial will take place before a jury court at the regional court in Klagenfurt. A date has not yet been set. The indictment is not yet legally binding, as it has just been delivered, according to the public prosecutor's office. The defense attorney has 14 days to contest the indictment if he decides to do so.

(APA/Red)

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