Ahmed J., a 25-year-old Syrian citizen, admitted in a court in Klagenfurt, Austria, to carrying out last year’s deadly attack and said that his goal had been to kill as many people as possible so that he would eventually be shot by the police.
The final hearing in the case was held on Wednesday, May 27, at the local court in Klagenfurt, in the Austrian state of Carinthia. During the trial, he accepted all the charges brought against him and repeated his previous statements.
Ahmed J. told the court that he had intended to kill between 14 and 15 people so that police officers would ultimately open fire on him. He also identified himself as a member of ISIS and claimed that he had become acquainted with and joined the group through propaganda videos published on the social media platform TikTok.
After reviewing the case, the jury found the defendant guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment. Judicial authorities stated that, due to security concerns, he would be held in solitary confinement in a maximum-security prison.
The attack took place on February 15, 2025, in the Austrian city of Villach. While shouting religious slogans, Ahmed J. attacked people with a knife. As a result of the attack, a 14-year-old teenager was killed and four others were injured.
The attacker was eventually stopped and restrained by another Syrian citizen. His intervention prevented the attack from continuing and likely saved additional lives.
Alaa Al-Din Al-Halabi, a 42-year-old Syrian man who became known as the “Hero of Villach,” was honored by Austrian authorities for stopping the attack and saving the lives of several citizens. According to reports, he is now set to receive Austrian citizenship.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
