Teenager to stand trial in Germany over alleged ISIS-inspired plot targeting Taylor Swift concert.
A 19-year-old, identified as Beran A., will face trial in Germany for allegedly planning a suicide bombing at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concert in Vienna last August. The trial will be held behind closed doors at Berlin’s Superior Court of Justice, a decision supported by his defense lawyers due to his age and the intense media attention surrounding the case.
Prosecutors allege that Beran A. began adhering to islamic State ideology in 2024 and pledged allegiance to the terror group via text message. A second individual, Mohammad A., who was educated in Germany and of Syrian descent, was arrested on the day the Vienna concerts were canceled after his name was found in Beran A.’s contacts. Mohammad A. remains under inquiry.
The revelation of the alleged plot led to Swift expressing a “tremendous amount of guilt” and a “new sense of fear” for her fans.Following the incident, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and London Mayor Sadiq Khan faced accusations of pressuring police to provide Swift with a police escort during her London shows. The Mayor was also among Labour figures who reportedly received complimentary tickets to Swift’s sold-out performances, which took place under heightened security measures.