A suspected terrorist found dead in Vienna cell
In Vienna Police Headquarters, a suspect was found dead by officers in the morning. A 40-year-old man from Dagestan, who was to be deported to Russia, was identified as the deceased.
A man, who was to be deported from Austria to the Russian republic of Dagestan due to terror investigations, was found dead in his cell. According to the Vienna Police, this is one of the four individuals who were taken into custody in Vienna due to terror warnings in Vienna and Cologne.
In May, the detention was lifted due to lack of immediate suspicion. However, deportation proceedings against the four were initiated at the same time. A spokesperson for the Vienna Police confirmed the death of a 40-year-old man in a police detention center, after the "Kronen Zeitung" reported on the case. The man did not die from external causes, the spokesperson added. The terror suspect reportedly killed himself with a towel and his shoelaces.
One of the four, a Tajik, was arrested in Wesel on the Lower Rhine on Christmas Eve 2023 and extradited to Austria in February. The police received information about a possible attack scenario at Cologne Cathedral, which was related to New Year's Eve. Additionally, security authorities received a tip about a possible planned attack on Vienna landmarks such as St. Stephen's Cathedral before Christmas. In Austria, two men from Tajikistan and Dagestan, and a woman with Turkish roots were arrested.
IS-Affiliate under investigation
The Tajik has already been deported, as reported by the Austrian news agency APA. The Vienna Public Prosecutor's Office is continuing its investigation against the former detainees on suspicion of membership in a terrorist organization. The focus of the investigation is the IS Province of Khorasan (ISPK) group.
Western authorities and experts believe that the ISPK is responsible for the attack on a concert hall in Moskau in March, which resulted in over 140 deaths. Russia was shaken by the worst terror attack in years on March 22nd.
Following the attack on the Crocus City Hall, at least 144 people were killed and 382 others were injured in the city of Krasnogorsk northwest of Moscow. The IS has claimed responsibility for the attack multiple times. However, the Russian leadership is trying to blame Ukraine for orchestrating the attack.
The 40-year-old man who was found dead in Vienna Police Headquarters was under investigation for potential links to the Islamic State, specifically the IS Province of Khorasan (ISPK). This terror organization is believed to be responsible for the terror attack in Moscow's Crocus City Hall, resulting in over 140 fatalities in March.
Despite the Vienna Police confirming the man's death without external causes, there were terror warnings in both Vienna and Cologne, leading to the detention of several individuals. One of them, a Tajik man, was arrested and extradited from Wesel on the Lower Rhine to Austria.
The Vienna Public Prosecutor's Office is continuing its investigation against the former detainees, including the deceased man, on suspicion of membership in a terrorist organization. The Russian republic of Dagestan was preparing to receive the man who was to be deported, possibly due to terror investigations.
However, the Russian leadership has been attempting to blame Ukraine for orchestrating the Moscow terror attack, despite the Islamic State claiming responsibility for the attack multiple times. The Vienna incident serves as a reminder of the global reach and impact of terrorism and Islamic extremism.
