The Bureau for the Protection of the Constitution and prosecutors jointly took action against hate crime and right-wing extremism in six states on Thursday. According to a press release issued Friday morning, 13 targets had been prosecuted for hate speech and under the Nazi Prohibition Act. At the same time, coordinated by Europol, action was taken against hate crimes in 11 other countries in Europe.
The suspects – four each from Vienna and Lower Austria, two from Vorarlberg and one each from Burgenland, Salzburg and Upper Austria – were seized during 12 house searches and a voluntary inspection of mobile phones, data carriers and objects related to the alleged crimes. taken. as well as Nazi memorabilia in the case of two suspects, the Interior Ministry said.
Forbidden weapons seized
Two out of 12 people are legal gun owners and there was already an official gun ban for another person at the time of implementation. According to the information, three persons have contacts in the organized extreme right-wing scene or are known to the authorities for the protection of the constitution. In the course of the official acts, three temporary firearms bans were imposed by the agents who intervened. Prohibited weapons (one blackjack, two brass knuckles) were seized and a gun law document was seized.
Virtual spaces as crime scenes
Twelve of the suspects are accused of having again acted within the meaning of the Prohibition Act or downplaying the Holocaust; in one case the suspicion of hate speech was the reason for the intervention. According to the Interior Ministry, the crime scenes were all located in the virtual space, including WhatsApp, Facebook and Telegram. The evaluation of the seized mobile phones and data carriers, as well as documents and propaganda material will take a long time.
Zadic: “Effective blow”
“Decisive action against any form of right-wing extremism is not only part of our historical responsibility, but above all a central investigative task of the State Security and Intelligence Service and the state offices,” emphasized Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) on the occasion. of the operation. Last but not least, the corona pandemic and its consequences have led to a change in the radical margins of society. Justice Minister Alma Zadic (Greens) spoke of an “effective blow against the far-right milieu in Austria”.
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.
