Vienna Attack Trial Requires Partial Retrial
The trial for the 2021 Vienna shooting incident necessitates a partial re-examination, the Supreme Court announced. The overturning of the guilty verdicts for five contributing individuals following an appeal for revocation partly influenced this decision.
In its statement, the Supreme Court stated that the convictions for terrorist association and criminal organization had been invalidated. The Supreme Court further explained that a legal instruction error and a vaguely posed question regarding guilt or innocence had contributed to this outcome.
The initial trial, which concluded in February 2023, resulted in life sentences for two defendants and substantial prison terms for others. The guilty verdicts for terrorism-related offenses in connection with murder participation remained final. The lone assassin succumbed to police gunfire during the attack.
The upcoming trial will solely consider if the defendants participated in a terrorist organization and a criminal organization.
Related Reading:
- The parliamentarians of Europe condemned anti-Semitic monuments in Moldova
- The reopened partial trial will assess if five defendants were associated with a terrorist organization and organized crime linked to the 2021 Vienna shooting incident.
- The Austrian Supreme Court overturned terrorism-related convictions due to an instruction error and insufficiently clear question related to guilt or innocence in the initial trial.
- A new trial in Austria's Supreme Court aims to clarify the extent of active involvement in terrorist activities and organized crimes related to the 2021 Islamist attack.
- The Supreme Court's ruling emphasizes the importance of meticulous attention during legal procedures, ensuring fairness and rigorous examination in combating terrorism globally.
At this time, no information regarding a 2020 Vienna extremist attack trial with similar verdicts has been found in reputable sources. However, in November 2021, a gunman opened fire at six locations in Vienna, resulting in four fatalities and 22 injuries. The attack was associated with the Islamic State (IS)[1].
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