Austrian faces death penalty in Saudi Arabia for knife terror attack in Mecca
The 21-year-old Austrian citizen H. E. faces sentencing in Saudi Arabia for a knife attack in Mecca carried out in March 2024 in the name of the Islamic State. All five victims survived, but Austrian authorities failed to secure his transfer to his home country.
Austrian faces death penalty in Saudi Arabia for knife terror attack in Mecca
The 21-year-old Austrian citizen H. E. is on trial in Saudi Arabia for allegedly carrying out a terror attack with a knife in Mecca in March 2024. According to the indictment, he first purchased a weapon at a market, then stabbed a security guard in the throat in front of the Grand Mosque al-Haram and subsequently attacked four other people. All five victims survived the attack.
The verdict is to be announced today. Austrian media report that he faces the death penalty. The Austrian Foreign Ministry confirmed that the embassy in Riyadh is providing him with consular assistance and is in regular contact with him. Despite all efforts, however, it proved impossible to secure the defendant's transfer to Austria and have him tried there, which would have protected him from a possible death sentence.
H. E. is also known in Austrian media as a mentor and schoolmate of B. A., who was convicted of planning terrorist attacks on a concert by American singer Taylor Swift in Austria. B. A. and A. K. admitted to travelling to Dubai and Istanbul in 2024 to carry out attacks there. B. A. told the court that he was in Dubai in March 2024 searching for victims he wanted to stab, but was prevented from doing so by a panic attack.
During the trial, the defendants described H. E. as a key figure behind the terrorist plans. H. E. is the only one among them who actually carried out an attack. It will soon be known whether the young Austrian fundamentalist will be the sole fatality of his own terrorist attack.
Source: Delo
Source: Delo