A court in Luxembourg has sentenced a 23 year old Swedish man to two years in prison for preparing a violent attack on the Eurovision Song Contest that was scheduled to take place in Rotterdam in 2020. The case became public only recently, after Luxembourg’s security services uncovered extensive plans for mass casualties.
The suspect, identified as Alexander H., had drawn up plans to kill as many people as possible. Investigators found documents on his laptop describing the use of cyanide or ricin to poison visitors, the construction of explosive devices, and even the release of chlorine gas through ventilation systems to trigger panic inside the venue.
He was arrested in February 2020 at his home in Strassen, Luxembourg. At the time, the Eurovision event was still planned to go ahead before later being cancelled due to the pandemic.
Although prosecutors demanded 12 years, the court issued an eight year sentence, with six years suspended. This means Alexander H. will serve two years in prison if he avoids further offenses. He is also required to take part in a deradicalization program.
Luxembourg media report that the suspect spent months fixated on preparing attacks both in Luxembourg and in Sweden. The indictment described his ideology as far right, racist and antisemitic, with the intention of sparking what he believed would be a racial conflict.
Dutch authorities had received a tip about a potential Dutch accomplice of the Swedish suspect. However, the Dutch Public Prosecution Service decided not to pursue charges, stating that the individual involved had no malicious intent and was a minor at the time.
In total, the Swedish suspect faced eleven charges, including weapons violations, terrorist plotting and incitement to hatred. Some offenses were committed while he was still underage. Despite the cancellation of the 2020 event, investigators maintained that the preparations posed a serious threat, given the suspect’s detailed research and extremist motivation.