Many thanks to Gary Fouse for translating this article from the Austrian daily Kronen Zeitung:

Terror trial in Vienna

27-year-old denies Syria stay before court

February 19, 2024

A young ISIS sympathizer reportedly traveled to Syria in 2014, at the age of 18, and there joined the terror organization as a fighter. This is supported by a revealed data sheet. But for a conviction, the document is not sufficient.

An unusual crowd of prison guards line Courtroom 11 in the Vienna Regional Court. This is noticed even by the judge. “Are you that dangerous? Obviously, yes when I look at what has been mustered here,” she says at the beginning of the trial to the 27-year-old defendant — who is brought in with foot shackles and handcuffs attached to a waist belt.

Prison guard attacked with butter knife

Justifiably, since the young man has a considerable criminal record. “You have been rather continuously in custody for 14 years,” the presiding judge summarizes. Most recently, he had to appear before a jury in Krems for the attempted murder of an officer in the Stein Prison. With the cry, “Allahu Akhbar” he went after the guard with a sharpened butter knife, aiming for his neck. In July of 2022, he was finally sentenced to six years’ imprisonment for deliberate, serious bodily injury.

“But he had previously sworn to ISIS to support them from Austria” — State prosecutor (referring to) the defendant (27)

Did he travel to Syria as an ISIS fighter?

The accusation, now being adjudicated in Vienna, allegedly occurred before the prison sentence against the Chechen. In the summer of 2014, the defendant allegedly traveled to Syria and joined ISIS there. This is supported by a datasheet of the terror organization, in which a similar name with the same date of birth appears. There, he affixed a cross with the function, “fighter”.

At the appeal of the parents, the 27-year-old reportedly returned to Austria after two weeks. ISIS propaganda and torture videos were also found on the defendant. “He had also previously promised ISIS he would support them from Austria,” according to the State prosecutor.

Section 278b Penal Code: Terrorist Organization

(1)		Whoever leads a terrorist organization is subject to imprisonment from 5-15 years.
(2)		Whoever participates as a member of a terrorist organization is subject to imprisonment from 1-10 years.
(3)		A terrorist organization is a long-term association of more than two persons, set up so that one or more members of this organization might carry out one or more terrorist crimes or conduct terrorist financing.

27-year-old Chechen was only visiting his girlfriend

Completely far-fetched, the defense attorney Florian Kreiner maintains. “My client crossed the Bulgarian border on June 9, 2014, and the Turkish border on June 10. That is the only thing that we objectively know.” He was visiting a girlfriend in Istanbul, the defendant himself says — without luggage, without informing his parents. And he doesn’t know the last name of the girlfriend in question.

Nevertheless, Attorney Kreiner criticizes: “I have presided over many terror trials. There has never been so little evidentiary material.” And the evidence is not sufficient for a jury. In case of doubt, the 27-year-old will not be legally convicted.