A man accused of planning an attack on Taylor Swift‘s concert in Vienna in 2024 was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Thursday for charges relating to the plot.
According to BBC, the 21-year-old, an Austrian citizen known only as Beran A. under local privacy rules, was found guilty of plotting a jihadist attack. Right before the court adjourned to decide on a verdict, he said, “I would just like to say that I am sorry,” reports the AP.
In April, the man pleaded guilty as his trial began, according to his lawyer. He was facing charges including terrorist offenses and membership in a terrorist organization, as he was accused of pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group. He was reportedly planning to attack Swift fans with knives or homemade explosives at Ernst Happel Stadium and has been in custody since August 2024.
“Of course, he deeply regrets it all,” his lawyer Anna Mair said outside the courtroom at the start of the trial. “He says it was the biggest mistake of his life.”
According to the AP, Beran A. is facing trial alongside Arda K. They were allegedly planning to carry out simultaneous attacks along with a third man in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates during Ramadan. Only Beran A. was charged in connection with the concert plot, and he pleaded not guilty to charges related to the plot for simultaneous attacks.
Tens of thousands of Swift fans had traveled to Austria for the three shows scheduled as part of her “Eras Tour” in August 2024. The concerts were canceled after the terrorist plot was uncovered, prompting Swifties to take to the streets to come together in an act of communal support.
“Walking onstage in London was a rollercoaster of emotions,” wrote Swift on social media at the time. “Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating. The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows. But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives.”
Love Film & TV?
Get your daily dose of everything happening in music, film and TV in Australia and abroad.
From Variety US