Minister of Justice Alma Zadic (Greens) announces a draft law to tighten the espionage paragraph. Espionage by foreign intelligence services will in the future be punishable in this country not only if it is aimed against Austrian interests, but also if other states or organizations are spied on.
Currently, Section 256 of the Criminal Code provides that “anyone who establishes or operates a secret intelligence service or supports such an intelligence service to the detriment of the Republic of Austria shall be punished with a prison sentence of six months to five years.” This arrangement has been criticized for some time.
Relatively safe workplace for secret services
Numerous international organizations such as the UN, OSCE and OPEC have their headquarters in Vienna, as well as many diplomatic missions. At the same time, due to the current legal situation, Austria is considered a relatively safe ‘working place’ for foreign intelligence and secret services. In this country, only those who spy on an Austrian ministry are currently punishable, not those who do so at the UN. There is only an exception for military intelligence services; these are generally prohibited. But even the Russian FSB does not define itself as such.
“Austria has been accused for decades of being an island of blessings, so to speak, for secret services and intelligence services from all over the world. That is why we must tighten criminal law here,” said Zadic. “Legal loopholes have so far allowed foreign intelligence services to spy in Austria with impunity. We have to close this. “We would therefore like to expand the espionage paragraph so that in the future our law enforcement authorities can take action against foreign spies, even if they do not target Austria itself, but international organizations based here, such as the UN or friendly states. ”
Support from coalition partner
The announced draft is currently being developed at the Ministry of Justice and will then be sent to the ÖVP. This fundamentally supports the request, as Interior Minister Gerhard Karner explained in the morning newspaper ‘Ö1’, but would like a total package that also includes the long-requested options for monitoring courier services. However, Karner did not want to discuss one condition: “Do not combine things, but a total package is the goal.” The opposition parties also responded positively to the announced tightening of the espionage paragraph.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
