Trial against terror suspects: Vienna Pride attack plans revealed!

Trial against terror suspects: Vienna Pride attack plans revealed!

A trial began today at the St. Pölten regional court against three young men who are suspected of having made plans to attack the Vienna Rainbow Parade, which celebrates the LGBTIQ community. The defendants are aged 17, 19 and 22 and face serious allegations, including membership in a terrorist organization and in a criminal organization. These details were confirmed by [5min.at].

It had already become clear in the run-up to the trial that the defendants, who were already the focus of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, were briefly arrested before being released due to a lack of strong suspicion. The plans for the attack were discussed in detail in a Telegram group, where a Ukrainian also announced his intention to carry out a suicide attack. According to oe24.at it is proven that the youngest defendant, who was only 14 years old at the time of the alleged crime, downloaded bomb-making instructions from the Internet has.

The role of the accused

The public prosecutor's office has made it clear that the defendants are violent supporters of the Islamic State (IS) and the ISPK group. The 19-year-old in particular planned to get weapons in the Czech Republic in order to carry out an attack. In addition, together with his brother, who is 22 years old, he supports the Ukrainian co-defendant in his plans to carry out the attack. The 22-year-old himself advocated violence against non-believers in the chats, which underlines the danger of the group.

The defense of the youngest defendant describes his involvement with the Islamic State as an “ill-advised action.” Even though the 17-year-old found out about ways to get into IS areas and made military preparations, he apparently did not pursue any specific attack plans. The investigating authorities informed the public about the attack plans the day after the Rainbow Parade, which led to an increased security situation in the city.

The further course of the process

It is currently unclear whether verdicts will be made on the first day of the trial. Another date is scheduled for August 5, 2025 to advance further negotiations. Although there are reports of positive developments in the de-radicalization of the accused, the question remains as to how the courts will deal with the current allegations. The ongoing discussion about radicalization is also accompanied by measures to prevent extremism, as discussed in bpb.de.