Once again the highest level of security in the Vienna Regional Court: The trial of the accused accomplices in the terrorist attack in Vienna on November 2, 2022 continued on Thursday. Four people were killed in the shooting. Also the shooter Kujtim F. He can no longer be held responsible for the attack. Six men are said to have supported and encouraged him.
On October 18, 2022, the terror trial surrounding the massacre in the center of Vienna began in the grand courtroom of the Vienna Regional Court, with high security measures and media attention. On the first day of the trial, counsel for the six defendants gave their opening statements.
Three defendants pleaded partially guilty at the request of the judge. The rest of the men replied “innocent”. They knew nothing about the planned attack.
Arms dealer questioned as first suspect
The second day of the trial begins with the questioning of the six men alleged to have acted as helpers and supporters of Kujtim F. First, the fifth defendant took his place in the center of the room. The 32-year-old Russian, defended by Astrid Wagner, is the arms dealer of the later assassin. The man also pleads guilty to this. But as his lawyer emphasized on the first day: “The arms dealer is not the killer!”. He would not have known Kujtim F., he protested to the judge: “A complete stranger came forward and wanted a Kalashnikov” – an assault rifle.
It was not clear to the 32-year-old what the weapon was for a little later. In total, there were two encounters between the assassin and the fifth suspect. After the assault rifle, Kujtim F. then ordered a pistol and ammunition. The mediation went through “the Slovenian” – a business partner of the arms dealer, so to speak. Besides, he couldn’t have said no. The fifth defendant would have needed him for his business.
Doesn’t want to know the purpose of the arms shipments
Even during the second transfer, the Russian would not have thought about the reason for the transfer. “So they didn’t care?” the judge asks incredulously. Suspect: “I didn’t think about it” – “I can’t imagine giving a complete stranger a Kalashnikov and then another gun with the right ammunition,” said the judge. The man replied: “If I had known, I hadn’t!”
An investigation revealed that the suspect was in the apartment of the hitman
According to the indictment, the 32-year-old Russian and the later shooter would have seen each other more often than during these two transfers. Evaluations of his cell phone records would indicate that he would have been near the assassin’s apartment. However, his mobile phone would have been logged on to a mast eight kilometers away: “My mobile phone was somewhere completely different. That is many miles away.” However, the judge was able to provide information about this: If a mobile phone mast is overloaded, a mobile phone can also log in to the nearest one. And that must match the data obtained. “I was in a shopping mall nearby,” the Russian claimed.
Sixth defendant played soccer with the hitman and gave him guns
The sixth defendant contacted the 32-year-old arms dealer. He will then have his say in the Vienna Regional Court. The 22-year-old already has two previous convictions – both for terrorism. He also had to serve prison sentences. And it was precisely during one of these that he reconnected with the assassin. The two played football together as children and prayed in the same mosque.
Did the 22-year-old know about the planned terrorist attack?
“I made contact for the Kalashnikov,” the six defendants admit. Using an illegal cell phone from custody, he wrote to the arms dealer on Snapchat. “Have you ever thought about why the assassin would want that gun?” the judge asks. The 22-year-old dryly: “Of course. He also told me.” Kujtim F. told him that he only wanted to resell the assault rifle. However, during the investigation, the Defendant stated to the Bureau for the Protection of the Constitution that the later shooter did tell him that he wanted to commit an attack. Why he did not immediately report it : “If I have to report everything anyone says here, they’ll never figure it out.”
He pleads guilty to involvement in the illegal arms purchase, but does not claim to have aided and encouraged the terrorist attack: “Judge, don’t get me wrong. He had no ammunition and without ammunition you can’t do damage with a gun.” And he was not involved in buying the cartridges: “If I arrange the purchase of a Kalashnikov for him and he later sells it without my knowledge, it is not my fault.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
