A 20-year-old Russian citizen from Linz was due to answer on Thursday for terrorist and criminal association. He is said to have glorified and spread the terrorist organization IS on social media – he says he only spread “correct” knowledge about Islam.
The 20-year-old defendant entered the courtroom of the Linz Regional Court with a friendly “Greetings.” He describes himself as a devout Muslim and wears the typical beard and ankle-length trousers. This is not his first trial; as a participant in the 2022 Halloween riots in Linz, the young man has already been sentenced to a six-month suspended prison sentence.
Thousands of followers
On Thursday, he had to answer for a terrorist organization. From September 2021 to June 2023, he allegedly distributed photos and videos glorifying IS on Instagram, TikTok and Telegram. The defendant first came to the attention of the German Federal Criminal Police, which had informed the Austrian authorities.
Martyrdom glorified
Content of the messages: martyrdom, sermons – some with the ISIS flag or banned songs. The text is not for the faint of heart: “We build our fortresses from skulls” or “The infidels roast, bake, destroy” can be heard in fragments.
Song lyrics are not understood
“I only spread what is in the Koran and the Sunnah or what I know from sermons,” the suspect told the judge. He allegedly did not notice the IS flag, did not know the banned songs and did not understand their content because they were in Arabic. Also: “There were thousands of messages, something can slip through.”
15 months imprisonment
The jury sentenced the 20-year-old to 15 months in prison, of which five months unconditional, for the crime of terrorist organization and criminal organization. He should be given a stay if he successfully participates in a deradicalization program, to which the defendant agreed. The sentence is already legally binding.
Source: Krone
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