Austria: 15-year-old Islamist threatens police with bomb – claims it is ‘permissible to steal from infidels’

A young Syrian woman was brought before the regional court on Thursday for threatening the Vienna police with a bomb attack.
The then 15-year-old was caught shoplifting in Lugner City and taken to a police station for questioning. She has now been found guilty of making dangerous threats and has been given a two-month suspended sentence, with a maximum penalty of six months. The incident itself took place on November 29, 2024.

During her police interview, the young Muslim woman initially irritated the officers by stating that it was ‘permitted to steal from kuffar (unbelievers, note)’. A police officer pointed out the Austrian legal system to her, to which she replied that she did not want to ‘be in a room with kuffar’. She then went on to say that she would ‘throw a bomb in an officer’s face’. She also said she had a knife with her. ‘The bomb will destroy you all,’ said the 15-year-old, ‘I’ll start with this police station.’

No knife was found during the subsequent search. However, two framed pictures with IS flags were found in the young Syrian woman’s rucksack. As further investigations revealed, the alleged sympathiser of the radical Islamic terrorist militia ‘Islamic State’ (IS) had posed with a friend in front of prominent locations in Vienna with these pictures and had her photograph taken. These photos are said to have been distributed on social media channels.

The public prosecutor’s office apparently did not consider this to be IS propaganda, and the framed pictures were not an issue in the main hearing. Nor was the defendant accused of actually planning an attack. ‘She is not accused of planning an attack. That charge has been dropped,’ the prosecutor stated.

The now 16-year-old, who appeared at the hearing wearing a hijab covering her hair and neck, admitted to making the incriminating statements. ‘It came out of provocation and anger,’ said the teenager, who was represented by defence lawyer David Jodlbauer. One of the two police officers, whom the defendant called by his first name, had ‘said a few words that made me feel provoked. I don’t let any man tell me to go back to my country.’ So she ‘wanted to scare them (the two police officers, note) a little.’

‘She said she would blow us all up because we were so disrespectful. And she said to me personally that she would throw the bomb at me and that the bomb would be the last thing I would ever see in my life,’ reported one of the two officers. The then 15-year-old was ‘very angry’. When asked if he was afraid, the 27-year-old replied: ‘I personally didn’t take it that seriously. I didn’t feel threatened.’

His colleague, who was the same age, felt differently. ‘I took it seriously. I was frightened and unsettled,’ the police officer said.

The defendant found this incomprehensible. ‘People who are more mature should not believe this of a 15-year-old,’ she said. When asked if she would like to apologise to the police officers, she answered with a clear ‘no’. She also did not change her legal opinion that it is permissible to take valuables from non-Muslims: ‘I want to stick to that. Because that’s how it is.’ The judge then remarked: ‘In Austria, you will often find yourself in a room with non-believers. Will you be able to cope with that?’ The now 16-year-old answered this question with silence.

Although IS itself was not the subject of the trial, Judge Daniel Potmesil wanted to know: ‘What is your position on IS?’ – ‘I have no connection to it.’ – ‘What is your position on terrorist attacks?’ – ‘I have no comment on that.’ – ‘What is your position on non-believers?’ – ‘I have no contact with them.’

15-jährige IS-Sympathisantin droht Polizei mit Bombe | Exxpress