As a neutral observer, you sometimes get the impression that migrants enjoy a ‘cultural bonus’ in court. In Linz, a Syrian man ( aged 19), who had not hidden his sympathies for the terrorist militia ‘Islamic State’, was given a suspended sentence. He gave an insight into the brutal world view of the jihadists. But a confession, a reference to his young age and a commitment to a course in German language later, he left the court at large.
Austria is struggling with the brutal consequences of mass migration. Hardly a week goes by without a shocking case of imported violence. It was only in February that the insane act of a Syrian in Villach caused horror. The IS sympathiser stabbed a local youth group in broad daylight and killed a 14-year-old boy, grinning as if in mockery when he was arrested.
In contrast, the Syrian ( aged 19) who stood trial in Linz this week had not yet turned to open terrorist violence. For over a year, however, he had spoken to a flatmate in a social centre about a supposed duty to kill infidels. The migrant, on whose mobile phone a large amount of IS footage was found, made similar comments to carers: ‘Infidels can be beheaded, it’s permitted and it’s written in the Koran.’
At first, the staff at the refugee centre tried talking and holding meetings before the authorities were called in. The investigation ended in a trial for membership of a terrorist organisation – which actually carries a sentence of between 1 and 10 years in prison. However, the young immigrant even got off with a suspended sentence of 9 months and attendance at a deradicalisation programme.
The trick was that he not only confessed, but also reformed. He had ‘allowed himself to be influenced by his elders’ and had never known anything else. In addition, according to the judiciary, he had ‘changed his appearance’ and had a favourable social prognosis because he wanted to complete a German language course and perhaps become a teacher and start a family. Another mitigating factor was that, according to the juvenile court, his life situation had ‘improved’ due to his family moving to Austria.
The case raises several questions – and exposes the empty words of the black-red-pink government. It claims to have suspended family reunification and to be taking steps to repatriate people to the country after the fall of Assad. In reality, however, there are still no deportations to the Middle Eastern country. Only a few hundred Syrians accepted the offer of voluntary return – after four months, over 99.8% of all Syrians were still in Austria.
Now a convicted terror sympathiser is being let off with a conditional prison sentence at the absolute lower end of the possible sentence range. Not only is he allowed to remain in the country, but he is also allowed to establish a life here, for which his clan was even brought into the country. If even fantasies about beheading innocent people are no longer detrimental to residency, then what offences are there left at all?
‘Ungläubige köpfen ist normal’: Nur Bewährung für Jihad-Syrer