The Office for the Protection of the Constitution was first informed about the young man when he was 17 years old and a high school student. According to the indictment, he was already part of “one of the most dangerous neo-Nazi groups of our time” – the “Feuerkrieg Division”. State security officials believe that the now 21-year-old is particularly dangerous, also when it comes to plans of attack. The jury thinks otherwise: two years partly suspended – not legally binding.
The 21-year-old, who is led by two prison guards into courtroom 16 of the Vienna Regional Court, looks like his neighbor. He is not particularly tall or muscular, he sits in the dock in a neat white shirt – in front of a jury. But the charges against him are serious: the young Viennese was part of the right-wing extremist group “Feuerkrieg Division” for years.
Europe-wide dangerous neo-Nazi network
“Here you gain insight into a world you never knew. “Where you probably hoped they didn’t exist,” the prosecutor addressed the lay judges. The right-wing extremist network to which the 21-year-old belonged has mainly young members across Europe and is considered “one of the most dangerous neo-Nazi groups of our time. The goal was to start a global race war.”
In late 2019, the suspect first came into contact with the ‘Division Feuerkrieg’. In court, he reads a prepared statement: “I felt alone, was bullied at school, didn’t know what to do with my life.” He then joined the neo-Nazi group to ‘make myself important. Be cool.”
Two house searches and mobile phone evaluations in 2023 subsequently revealed his right-wing extremist views: he took action against minorities, glorified murderers and murderers who, in his opinion, murdered. In chat groups, he shared instructions on how to build his own explosives and weapons – repeatedly noting that he had a 3D printer at home. What else was found on him: knives, ammunition, a firearms vest and a long firearm, which the 21-year-old legally owned at the time.
“Is at risk of making attack plans”
However, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution could not find any concrete evidence of plans of attack by the young Viennese. However, the prosecutor notes: “He runs the risk of making plans to attack at the very least.” This increases the penalty for re-confirmation. If an offender is particularly dangerous, he risks a prison sentence of ten to twenty years.
And that is the question the jury must ask itself in the trial: is the 21-year-old particularly dangerous or not? Because: “We’re not going to start about it now. He wrote and did it all. The train is going there,” the lawyer predicts at the beginning. But he also points out that his client, as a military servant, had guarded objects of the Israelite religious community in Vienna with a loaded weapon: “If he had wanted to carry out an attack, he could have done it there.”
“I like to bury my head in the sand”
The young Viennese herself appears silently before the jury. He reads his prepared confession and concludes with the words: “I wish none of this had happened. I would like to lay my head down so that I don’t have to hear and read all this anymore.”
Lenient punishment for right-wing extremists
Unlike the state protector, the lay judges do not assume after consultation that the young right-wing extremist is particularly dangerous. He was sentenced to a two-year suspended sentence for National Socialist reactivation, sedition, membership of a criminal organization and incitement to commit criminal acts. He must actually spend eight months in custody – a period that he has almost spent in custody. The verdict is not final.
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.
