Former National Council member and media owner Peter Pilz is being tried in Vienna. For crimes that took place up to 24 years ago. Pilz is alleged to have illegally published minutes of two disciplinary proceedings. He is also accused of defaming the Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum.
The trial against Peter Pilz begins Friday in Vienna’s regional court in courtroom 25. The ex-politician calmly gives interviews and anticipates his statement before Judge Gerald Wagner. Above all, he will not admit guilt, as he repeated when asked during the trial.
BFA charged with “official attempted murder”.
Despite the single trial, the prosecutor presents the charges before the numerous media representatives who appeared: it concerns prohibited publication in two cases and the accusation of defamation against the Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum (BFA). Pilz accused him of “official attempted murder” during deportation proceedings in 2018.
Forbidden publication 24 years ago
The two suspected banned publications date back a bit further. On the one hand, it concerns a press conference in 2000, in which the then Green politician passed on copies of files from disciplinary proceedings against police officers to representatives of the media. The police officers were accused of having conducted illegal investigations at the instigation of FPÖ politicians. These investigations are remembered as the Ekis espionage affair.
Ten years later, Pilz quoted minutes from disciplinary proceedings on his personal website as a media owner about official errors in the search for Natascha Kampusch, who had been kidnapped for years.
Why is the trial only taking place now, because of accusations that were made long ago? Because Peter Pilz, as a member of the National Council, enjoyed professional immunity for most of the past 24 years. Further investigations only took place after Pilz left parliament in the autumn of 2019. And that too took almost five years.
On the one hand, the ex-Green Party and list founder and his lawyer Johannes Zink want to use the hearing in the Vienna Regional Court to prove that the BFA completely wrongly deported a young Afghan in 2018 – and therefore the crime of defamation has not been met. Lawyer Zink in his opening statement: “Yes, I admit that, the criticism was harsh. But in my opinion he spoke the truth.” As evidence, he even offers to bring the refugee, who has since found asylum in Germany, as a witness.
“Hair raising legal error”
On the other hand, it is important to clarify a “chilling legal error”, as Peter Pilz calls it. He and his lawyer do not share the legal opinion of the Public Prosecution Service, since the Civil Servants Act also applies to prohibited publications from disciplinary proceedings.
“In both cases I cited facts from the disciplinary file and I do not dispute that. I know the legal situation very well. “I know every detail of every legal provision that applies here,” says the ex-politician. “I am still convinced that everything was in accordance with the law, correct and necessary.” Moreover, he has never been a civil servant.
The hearing is adjourned due to requests for evidence.
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.
