The Graz High Court has closed the investigation against two brothers originally from Syria and the ‘Liga Kultur’ associations in Graz and Vienna attributed to them. The reason: the investigation lasted too long at three years and eight months.
The Graz Public Prosecutor’s Office had been investigating the two since mid-March 2020 as part of ‘Operation Luxor’ and suspected them of helping to set up the Austrian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood and the terrorist Hamas between October 2002 and November 2020.
The maximum research period is three years
In mid-December, the Higher Regional Court (OLG) accepted a complaint from Viennese lawyer Andreas Schweitzer, who represents the two, because the investigation took too long. The Code of Criminal Procedure stipulates that the public prosecutor’s investigations may generally not last longer than three years. Until then, either charges must be filed or the proceedings must be discontinued.
In this respect, the two court decisions are not a big surprise. There is no longer any possibility of appeal against the decisions; they are legally binding.
Lawyer testifies to the prosecutor’s ‘persecution mania’
“Where there is nothing, there is nothing. “I hope the prosecutor finally sees that,” Schweitzer said Thursday afternoon. He testified that the responsible prosecutor had acted “with paranoia” against his clients: “That is not in line with the rule of law.”
Long list of accusations
The men, who have been living in Austria for years, are being investigated because of terrorist organizations, criminal organizations and subversive connections. The prosecutor said that one brother had promoted the goals of the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, in particular the creation of an Islamic parallel state in Austria, and had recruited new members and trained them ideologically, including as part of educational and advertising activities with the Islamic State. Academy for Religious Education.
He suspected the other brother of having set up a “network of associations” to achieve the radical Islamist ideology and the objectives of the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas and thus conduct terrorist propaganda.
The persons thus accused admitted to belonging to the general Muslim Brotherhood movement, but during the investigation denied membership and rejected all accusations against them – especially regarding Hamas. Together with a number of other suspects, they became the focal point of state security during “Operation Luxor”.
Research file with 45 parts
Criminal investigations were conducted against 80 suspects and 26 associations, the investigation file included 45 tapes and 2,780 serial numbers and seized data material amounting to 200 terabytes had to be translated from Arabic into German.
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.
