"I am young, one makes mistakes": Start of trial on terrorist attack plans in Salzburg

He is alleged to have been available as a sleeper for the "Islamic State". Specifically, he is said to have "considered" an attack on the Hohensalzburg Fortress, the Salzburg main train station, or the Salzburg Christmas market at Christmas 2024. The defendant partially confessed, saying, "I am young, people make mistakes."

The previously unblemished man was arrested on December 1, 2024, by the German foreign police, and the transfer to the Austrian authorities took place on the Saalach Bridge at the border between Bavaria and Salzburg. One day later, pre-trial detention was imposed. "I am an IS member," these were reportedly the first words of the suspect, according to the prosecutor, in English. The 22-year-old is specifically charged with the crime of terrorist association, terrorist offenses, criminal organization, and the offense of instructing the commission of a terrorist act.

According to the indictment, available for attacks at any time

The person with subsidiary protection status had been staying in refugee accommodations in Austria since February 2023. Since February 2024, he was homeless. According to the indictment, he was available to IS for attacks at any time, specifically for suicide attacks with firearms and explosives or for attacks with knives.

As the prosecutor explained, the defendant is said to have already selected specific attack targets with the Hohensalzburg Fortress, the Salzburg main train station, and the Christmas market at Salzburg Cathedral and Residence Square, and "with the Christmas festival 2024, he also considered at least one specific time. He was in contact with IS members. He wants to prove himself."

If the accused had obtained weapons, he would have carried out the attack, said the prosecutor. "He would have accepted the death of many Austrians." His IS contacts had warned him of the high risk of premature detonation, so it was supposed to be an attack with a knife. The defendant had written to his contacts that they needed to find weapons because there were only 30 days left in his city (City of Salzburg, note) until an event - "presumably referring to the Christmas market," explained the prosecutor.

Prosecutor: "Terror attack was prevented"

The defendant had written to an IS member on November 28, 2024, that he wanted to carry out an attack in Austria. An attack on the Macedonian Prime Minister at the Salzburg main train station was allegedly planned. Regarding the Hohensalzburg Fortress, the man had written that he wanted to raise the IS flag there and then commit a suicide attack. However, the "brothers" had told him to wait for an order and to carry out the attack with a knife. "The defendant has insisted that he will definitely attack someone before he gets caught," the prosecutor described. "He writes that he wants to behead three people and flee." There is no room for interpretation when reading all the chat messages. "A terror attack was prevented here," emphasized the prosecutor.

Obtained blueprints for making explosive devices

On November 21 of the previous year, the then 21-year-old is said to have incited his Afghan girlfriend, who was living in Belgium at the time, to commit a suicide attack in Iran and also established contact with at least two IS members. However, the woman was arrested in Belgium before her departure.

Finally, the prosecutor accuses the Afghan of collecting and distributing media files glorifying IS. This is said to have occurred via various social media platforms and messaging services. He is also alleged to have obtained instructions and blueprints for making improvised explosive devices from the internet.

Defendant in Salzburg: Attack Plans Not Serious

The defendant was led into the jury courtroom at the Salzburg Regional Court by four masked and armed prison officers. At the beginning of his interrogation, he told the presiding judge that he had made some mistakes. "But some allegations are not true," the interpreter translated. He had joined IS, and although he had thoughts of attack plans, "the thoughts were not serious." He was serious about his statement that he wanted to travel to Afghanistan to join IS there. Confronted with the accusation that he had encouraged his girlfriend to commit a suicide attack, he said, "I am 100 percent innocent."

During the trial, the presiding judge confronted the 22-year-old with specific attack plans. "Did you plan terrorist attacks in Austria?" she asked. "You can't call it planning, I thought about it," he replied. "Honestly, I didn't have a specific target," the accused added. "It sounds different from what you wrote," the judge replied. The defendant's former girlfriend incriminated him with her statement to the authorities in Belgium. He had suggested to her to travel to Iran and carry out a suicide attack there with a bomb. And he had told her that he was planning an attack at a tourist site but did not yet have the courage to do so.

Defense Lawyer: "He Made Thoughtless Remarks"

His defense lawyer had previously stated that the accused had made serious mistakes and expressed immature, dangerous thoughts and thoughtless remarks. "He admits to almost all charges. However, the evidence will show that he did not try to encourage his then-girlfriend to commit an attack in Iran." The chat history between the two would show that the woman had already been radicalized before and had written to the accused that she wanted to carry out a suicide attack. The lawyer referred to the difficult youth of the accused, who fled from Afghanistan without support and structure, "he experienced traumas that he has not processed." Then the young man encountered IS. The lawyer described IS as a "highly modern recruitment machine that works with manipulation and religious distortion." The Afghan became a victim of this IS ideology. "He communicated IS propaganda and expressed attack plans."

The defendant fled from Afghanistan in September 2021 to escape the Taliban, as the man explained to the judge. His goal was a good life in Germany, but because fingerprints were taken at the border, he stayed in Austria. When he engaged with TikTok, he became a very devout Muslim. He watched IS videos and then wanted to know more about it. When asked by the judge if he wanted to join IS, he answered "Yes," "I am young and made mistakes." The prosecutor explained in his opening statement that the man had begun to show interest in IS or the Afghan terrorist group ISKP. The US intelligence service had given a tip to the Austrian authorities, which eventually led to the arrest.

Sentencing Range Ten to 20 Years

During the investigation, the Afghan partially confessed. The charges fall under the jurisdiction of a jury court due to the sentencing range of ten to 20 years or life imprisonment. Because the accused was not yet 21 years old at the time of some of the alleged offenses, a jury court for juvenile cases is handling the matter.

The trial will continue on Thursday.

(APA/Red)

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