Bloody Gang War in Vienna: Chechens Charged with Attempted Murder

Following the violent clashes between Chechens and Syrians or Afghans last summer in Vienna, the public prosecutor's office has filed charges of attempted murder against two men of Chechen descent. A 30-year-old and a 29-year-old man will have to answer before a jury in connection with a shooting in Anton-Kummerer-Park in Brigittenau.

30-year-old shot multiple times at opponents in Vienna-Brigittenau

As spokeswoman Nina Bussek announced in a press release on Wednesday evening, the 30-year-old is accused of firing at least six times with a pistol with the intent to kill five opponents on July 5, 2024, without hitting them. His co-accused acquaintance is alleged to have driven the main accused and an unknown third perpetrator, who is still being investigated, to the crime scene, where he also armed himself and attacked the men in the park. The 29-year-old is considered an accessory by the public prosecutor's office. He is said to have "made at least a psychological contribution to the attempted murder," according to the prosecution's media release.

The bullets from the 30-year-old's weapon narrowly missed the Syrians at the time. However, two of them were injured by projectiles ricocheting off vehicles.

Another original suspect released

A man who had been considered the third participant in the attempted murder and had been in pre-trial detention since the end of August has since been released, Bussek informed upon APA request. "We could not prove his involvement in the crime," said Bussek. The evidence was insufficient. According to confirmed information from the APA, the man was released on December 31 at the request of the public prosecutor's office.

Accused remain silent on allegations

The defendants have not yet commented on the allegations, according to the prosecution. "In addition to the statements of the victims and uninvolved witnesses, expert reports, the gunshot residue and crime scene report, as well as the evaluation of phone data led to the reconstruction of the crime," explained Bussek. The men face a prison sentence of ten to twenty years or life imprisonment. The indictment is not yet legally binding. The defendants have the right to file an objection with the court within 14 days of receiving the indictment.

The trigger for the intense conflicts is said to have been a Chechen who was allegedly stabbed and critically injured by Syrians on June 3 in Arthaberpark in Vienna-Favoriten. Subsequently, on July 1, a confrontation occurred on Dopschstraße in Vienna-Floridsdorf. The peak of the conflict occurred over the weekend of July 5 to 7 during nighttime escalations of violence. Several partially armed men clashed first on July 5 and 6 in Brigittenau in the area of Anton-Kummerer-Park/Klosterneuburger Straße, then just one day later at Meidling station.

Indictment refers to real Wild West scenes in Vienna

On the evening in question, Syrians and Chechens met in Anton-Kummerer-Park around 9:45 PM to attack each other with wooden slats, pepper sprays, knives, and firearms. During the real Wild West scenes - multiple shots were fired - three men of Syrian origin were significantly injured, although not by projectiles from a firearm. They had to be taken to hospitals by rescue services.

The alleged driver of the Chechen group was arrested just a few hours after the violence. He is said to have - being violent himself - brought compatriots to the crime scene with his BMW. The man - who has an AHS diploma and was recently working as a project manager - has remained silent about the allegations against him since his arrest.

Two other Chechens were identified after meticulous investigations by the state criminal police office and taken into custody on August 20 and 21. As it turned out during the investigations, one of the two is alleged to be the shooter according to the indictment. He has also exercised his right to remain silent since his arrest. In contrast, the compatriot arrested with him was apparently wrongly suspected of involvement in the attempted murder. The 28-year-old has been free again since the beginning of the year. According to APA information, he was indeed at the crime scene, but no contribution to the massive violence could be proven against him during the investigation.

A total of seven people were injured during the weeks-long gang fights in the federal capital, four of them seriously. The last incident occurred on July 10 at Floridsdorf station.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.