A German court on Tuesday convicted a 16-year-old boy of supporting a foiled plot to attack Taylor Swift concerts in Austria last year.
The Syrian national, identified only as Mohammad A. in accordance with German privacy regulations, was found guilty of preparing a serious act of violence and aiding a terrorist act abroad. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended.
Judges said that when he was 14, the defendant endorsed the ideology of the Islamic State group and communicated via social media with a young man in Austria who planned an attack on a Swift concert in Vienna.
The court found that Mohammad A. sent bomb-making instructions to his acquaintance and facilitated contact with an IS member.
Three Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna scheduled for Aug. 7, 2024, were canceled after authorities uncovered the plot, leading to three arrests in Austria.
According to the court, the defendant made a “comprehensive confession” during his trial, which was held behind closed doors due to his age. The verdict is subject to appeal.