Syrian is charged over plot to bomb Taylor Swift concert in Vienna
A young Syrian has been charged with supporting a foiled attempt to bomb a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna last year.
German prosecutors say Mohamed A, who is a juvenile and cannot be fully identified in line with Germany 's privacy rules, is accused of supporting a foreign terrorist organisation and preparing a serious act of violence.
Cops say the suspect, who is currently not in custody, supports the ideology of the so-called Islamic State (IS) group.
It has been alleged that between mid-July and August last year, he had been in communication with a man in Austria who was planning to attack the concert.
Mohamed A is said to have helped him by translating bomb making instructions from Arabic.
Among other things, he is also accused of organising online contact with a member of the terrorist group.
Additionally, the suspect allegedly gave his Austrian acquaintance the text for an oath of allegiance to IS.
The contact in Austria then used it to join the group, police say.
Although Mohamed A has been charged, it is now up to German courts to determine whether to take the case to trial.
In a statement, Germany's federal public prosecutor said: 'Mohammad A has adhered since April 2024 at the latest to the ideology of the terrorist organisation Islamic State (IS).'
The statement added: 'Between mid-July and August 2024, he was in contact with a young adult from Austria who was planning a bomb attack on a concert by singer Taylor Swift in Vienna.
Taylor Swift's fans were left disappointed when organisers cancelled the shows the day before they were set to begin.
The popstar was scheduled to perform at her Eras Tour, which had three sold-out dates in the country, in August.
She later apologised for the cancellation, saying she felt a 'tremendous amount of guilt'.
Many suspects were arrested, with authorities saying they had links to IS and al-Qaeda.
The plot's prime suspect was identified as Beran A, a now 20-year-old man from Vienna, who was allegedly a member of an IS syndicate in the city.
Thanks to a tip-off by the CIA, the suspect was apprehended before the alleged plot, which was intended to slaughter a large number of people, could be carried out.
But prosecutors say that was not the only time he had planned a terrorist attack.
It is alleged that he planned an attack in Dubai in March last year but eventually had a change of mind.
Speaking about the foiled Vienna attacks, the CIA's deputy director David Cohen said: 'The Austrians were able to make those arrests because the agency and our partners in the intelligence community provided them information about what this ISIS-connected group was planning to do.'
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