Lawyer Claims Allegations in Taylor Swift Concert Plot Case Are Exaggerated

VIENNA (AP) — A lawyer representing the main suspect in an alleged plot targeting Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna has claimed that the authorities are exaggerating the seriousness of the case. According to the lawyer, his client’s supposed plans were merely “fantasies” that he wouldn’t have been able to execute.

The 19-year-old Austrian man, whose identity remains undisclosed in accordance with Austrian privacy laws, was detained last Wednesday. The arrest was part of a broader operation that saw three individuals taken into custody. As a result of the potential threat, organizers called off Swift’s upcoming performances at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium, which were scheduled for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The cancellation left many fans deeply disappointed.

Austrian authorities have stated that the suspect intended to launch an attack outside the stadium, aiming to cause mass casualties with knives or improvised explosives. During a raid on his residence, investigators reportedly uncovered chemical substances and various technical devices.

Austrian officials assert that the man confessed to beginning his attack preparations in July. However, the suspect’s defense lawyer, Werner Tomanek, has countered this claim. Tomanek said he has yet to review the complete case files but referenced an incomplete record of his client’s initial interrogation, disputing the account of a full confession.

“He had neither the means nor the possibility and the explosives to carry this out,” Tomanek said. He accused the authorities of “overacting at its best” and suggested that they were “presenting this exaggeratedly” to justify new surveillance powers.

Tomanek also mentioned that his client appears to suffer from mental health issues, describing him as “a lone wolf without social contacts.” He argued that the supposed attack plans were nothing more than “pure fantasies.”

In the initial interrogation, the suspect reportedly acknowledged having “Islamist tendencies” and admitted to seeking and establishing “contact with such people online,” as per the Austria Press Agency (APA). Tomanek added that the young man had made an online pledge of loyalty to the Islamic State group but deleted it shortly afterward.

When asked why his client posted the pledge, Tomanek said, “Because he found it cool.” He explained that the young man aimed to mimic the poses of the assailant responsible for the November 2, 2020, attack in Vienna. In that incident, four people were killed, and the attacker, who had a prior conviction for attempting to join IS in Syria, was also killed.

Taylor Swift’s next scheduled concerts are set to take place at London’s Wembley Stadium, starting on Thursday.

Source: AP News