Prayers with killer – Only “drunk tea” in the terror apartment

She is said to have played a central role in the radicalization of the Viennese murderer. According to the indictment, the small apartment in St. Pölten was the center of the jihadist scene in Lower Austria and Vienna. The 24-year-old in the Vienna court: the tenant. But that was not his only role. In addition to Arabic, he is said to have taught Islam in the apartment – thereby trying to recruit young people. For his “brothers” he is said to have taken an “ideological leadership position”. Also for the shooter of the attack in the center of Vienna.

A day after the Vienna massacre on November 2, the apartment was stormed by WEGA. An extensive jihadist library was available to the armed forces. This was confirmed by an Islam expert on the second day of the trial. There is no doubt to him that the suspect and the other men who met in the apartment have radical Islamic views. A representative of the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counter-Terrorism also said in court: “From the point of view of the protection of the constitution, the crème de la crème of the Salafist jihadist scene traveled from Vienna to St. Polten.”

Drinking tea and discussing everyday topics
On the last day of the trial, witnesses who were present at the meeting in the St. Pölten apartment speak. A 25-year-old is introduced by the prison guards. He is already incarcerated on charges of terrorist organization. To most questions from the judge and the prosecutor about Islam lessons or IS, he answers: “Not really” or “I don’t remember”. But he is said to have learned Arabic from the accused. “Otherwise we would drink tea or talk about everyday subjects. About work and such’, says the detainee on the witness stand.

Jihadist books ‘very normal’
The second witness called was also in the apartment. He even paid the rent. “We have nothing to hide. We only learned Arabic,” says the 25-year-old. But he would have noticed the books. But the witness did not mind: “They are taught very normally in Islamic countries and are not banned.”

Witnesses to Assassin’s Signet Ring Spotted
He is also said to have seen the signet ring with the IS symbol, which the Viennese attacker wore during the attack, on the gunman’s hand during a meeting. The witness is also of the opinion that one should not wear the ring. But for another reason: “It’s a sign from the Prophet!” he says to the judge’s surprise: “No, that’s not why it’s forbidden. That’s a seal that IS uses!” The witness claims not to have known that… The same goes for a third young man on the witness stand.

Lawyer sees no proof of guilt
However, none of the witnesses confirmed the prosecution’s allegations. Sascha Flatz picked this up in his closing speech: “How much more evidence do I have to bring than 18 witnesses who all say, ‘No, there was nothing!’?” He emphasized again that his client had not translated the books, but had only proofread them. Also, the suspect never kept a “jihadist library”.

“According to an expert, about 240 books were found on my client’s property, and two of them could be jihadist in some way,” Flatz says. “The act has nine parts. And in those nine volumes so little was found. There is no de facto evidence,” he tried to refute the allegations. Should there be a conviction, he demands: “I ask for a mild conviction, a second chance. This is a young person”

Last words of the suspect
But the defendant still had the last word and he had much to say. He returned to the center of the room with a handwritten A4 sheet. He thought all night about what he wanted to say to the court at the end of his trial.

He first focused on the November 2, 2020 terrorist attack in the center of Vienna: “I want to make it very clear that I am sorry for what happened. I believe in God, but not in a God who wants you on the street. is walking and killing people. I can’t even imagine how the families of the victims feel and also the people who were afraid of death. My God doesn’t want something like that.” If he had known about the attack, he would have reported it immediately, he told the judge.

He also gave up his ultimate responsibility for the other charges: “I hope you see it that way too, that I did not participate in a terrorist organization, IS. And I hope to go home today with an acquittal.” A verdict is expected in the afternoon.