Syrian national, 16, convicted of supporting foiled plot to attack Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna

The Syrian national, whom prosecutors have identified only as Mohamed A - in line with German privacy rules, was convicted of preparing a serious act of violence and supporting a terrorist act of violence abroad.

The Berlin court gave him a suspended 18-month sentence.

Judges found that the defendant, then aged 14, supported the ideology of the Islamic State group at the time and was in contact via social media with a young man in neighbouring Austria who planned to attack a Swift concert in Vienna.

The court said they found that, among other things, the defendant sent his acquaintance a video with bomb-building instructions and organised contact with an IS member.

Read more: 'It filled me with a new sense of fear': Taylor Swift breaks silence on alleged Vienna terror plot

Read more: Taylor Swift fans come together in Vienna to sing and dance in the streets after concerts cancelled

Three Swift concerts in Vienna were cancelled on August 7 last year when the plot was discovered. Austrian authorities made three arrests.

The defendant made a "comprehensive confession" at his trial, which was held behind closed doors because of his age, according to the court.

Swift said at the time, the foiled terror plot filled her with a “new sense of fear.”

She wrote on Instagram at the end of the Eras tour: "Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating. The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows.

"But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives. I was heartened by the love and unity I saw in the fans who banded together.

"I decided that all of my energy had to go toward helping to protect the nearly half a million people I had coming to see the shows in London. My team and I worked hand in hand with stadium staff and British authorities every day in pursuit of that goal, and I want to thank them for everything they did for us.

"Let me be very clear: I am not going to speak about something publicly if I think doing so might provoke those who would want to harm the fans who come to my shows.

"In cases like this one, ‘silence’ is actually showing restraint, and waiting to express yourself at a time when it’s right to. My priority was finishing our European tour safely, and it is with great relief that I can say we did that."