A climate activist was forced to take off his underpants in a Vienna police detention center (PAZ). While the 24-year-old’s legal representative spoke in court about disproportionality, police defended themselves by suspecting superglue in the man’s underwear.
The hearing took place on Friday at the Administrative Court of Vienna. The incident itself happened last February. The 24-year-old was arrested in Vienna at the time after a last-generation sticky action and taken to the police detention center in Rossauer Lände. There he first had to routinely take off his clothes in an ‘examination room’ of three square meters. “You will be searched, searched and stripped down to your underwear,” the activist said in court.
fear of violence
An officer eventually asked him to remove his underwear as well. “I had the information at the time that I didn’t have to do it and I declined. Then we argued until the officer picked up his colleague, who came into the room and put on his gloves. I then assumed they might force them on me Then I did it myself,” the young man described in court.
Police: Usus for own and external security
The group inspector responsible at the time, who was invited as a witness, announced the facts to the court on Friday. However, he stressed that the procedure was customary and that it was a “self-protection and external security measure”. After all, the police have already found mini-mobiles, drugs or knives in underwear. In this case, it was assumed that superglue could be hidden in the underwear, for example. The authority takes the position that it was not a house search.
There were no indications that the climate activist was endangering himself or others, “but you never know in advance,” said the police officer. The judge again intervened that undressing in front of strangers can be humiliating or humiliating. The climate activist emphasized that he was not arrested because he “wanted to hurt someone”, but because of an administrative violation.
verdict next week
“Such an official act is obviously an infringement of fundamental rights, which can only take place if it is proportionate,” said his lawyer. Such an intervention should never be a standard procedure, it should always be considered on a case-by-case basis. The hearing ended Friday and the verdict is expected next week.
“It is important to us that we make it clear that these nude surveys are not necessary, so that these checks will no longer take place in the future,” said Last Generation spokeswoman Marina Hagen-Canaval. It was the first hearing on this issue in Vienna.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
