Austria seeks to toughen law against espionage
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on TimesLIVE
The Austrian government wants to broaden the legal definition of espionage and raise maximum sentences to tackle Vienna’s reputation as a capital of espionage. The bill will be submitted to Parliament after review, according to Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger.
The Austrian government wants to raise the maximum sentence for espionage against Austria from five to ten years and broaden the legal definition of the offence to activities targeting international organisations and the European Union, Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger announced on Wednesday. The bill will be submitted to Parliament after several weeks of review.
For espionage targeting international organisations or the European Union, the maximum sentence would be set at five years. Beate Meinl-Reisinger also said diplomatic status should not be used as cover for espionage activities on Austrian territory.
Austria expelled four Russian diplomats in October for acts incompatible with their diplomatic status, bringing to 18 the number of Russian diplomats expelled by Vienna since 2020, according to the minister. The Austrian capital is home to international organisations and UN bodies, including the International Atomic Energy Agency.
