An Austrian court sentenced a 24-year-old Kurdish Syrian refugee to life imprisonment on Wednesday following his conviction for a fatal knife attack in Villach, a town in southern Austria, in February 2025. The defendant, who has not been publicly named, was found guilty of murder and terrorism-related charges by a jury during proceedings held in Klagenfurt.

The incident involved the stabbing death of a 14-year-old boy and injuries sustained by five others. The attacker was apprehended at the scene shortly after the assault. During the trial, he acknowledged carrying out the attack and declared his allegiance to the Islamic State militant group.

Prosecutors stated that the defendant experienced a rapid radicalization process through TikTok, a fact that reportedly surprised even his brother. When questioned by the presiding judge, via an interpreter, about whether he would repeat the attack if given another chance, the defendant reportedly affirmed that he would.

This case marks the second fatal Islamist militant attack in Austria in recent years, following a mass shooting in Vienna in November 2020, which resulted in four deaths and 22 injuries before the gunman was killed by police.

The trial was expected to conclude by Thursday. It coincided with another high-profile case involving a 21-year-old accused of plotting an Islamist attack at a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna in 2024, which authorities said was prevented shortly before it was to take place.