Austria announced plans to tighten laws in Austria on spying to close loopholes allowing Russian agents operating in the country. The decision coincides with the espionage affair of Egisto Ott, a former officer at the domestic intelligence agency arrested for spying on dissidents of the Russian regime in Vienna.
On Thursday, Austrian Justice Minister Alma Zadić of the governing Green party announced plans to tighten laws in Austria on spying after the arrest of Egisto Ott who is suspected of passing confidential information to Russian authorities.
Section 256 of the criminal code stipulates that only activities directly harming Austrian affairs are currently punishable by law, with a sentence of 6 months to 5 years in prison. In an interview with Ö1-Morgenjournal, the Justice Minister insisted that “criminal law gaps must be closed.” According to the minister, all espionage activity on Austrian territory against any state should now be punishable.
An espionage scandal
Egisto Ott, a former constitutional protection officer, was arrested a week earlier for allegedly disclosing sensitive data to unknown Russian authorities, as well as cloning the phones of three senior interior ministry figures. The phones belonged to a former head of cabinet of the Austrian Interior Ministry, the director of the federal police, and the director of the federal office for immigration and asylum.
Ott worked at the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counterterrorism (BVT), the domestic intelligence agency, and his position enabled him to pass information to Russian authorities under the pretext of observing extremists. The information he sold has been traced to Jan Marsalek, the disgraced former manager of German company Wirecard which operated in finance but went bankrupt in 2020 after suspicions of fraud. Mr Marsalek is accused of having spied on behalf of Russia for decades.
In response to the arrest, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer asserted that Vienna needs to boost its security to thwart Russian infiltration, and called a meeting of Austria’s National Security Council this week.
However, this is not the first time that Ott has been accused. According to The Telegraph, the official has been suspected of espionage for seven years. He confessed to Der Spiegel to breaking into the home of journalist Christo Grozev in 2022, a critic of the Russian regime.
Ott uncovered the critic’s address and ransacked his home, stealing a computer and USB sticks, with considerable ease. Disguised as a police officer, the former intelligence officer only had to pay 3.40 euros to the registration office for his address, revealing further relaxed security protocols.
A hub for Russian intelligence
Vienna has long been the playground for spies, especially during the Cold War, where cafés were constantly frequented by agents and became a meeting point for information exchanges. The lax laws and freedom of movement have created an ideal location for agents operating at the bridge between East and West Europe. In 2018, Siegfried Beer, an Austrian expert in espionage, estimated that at least 7,000 spies were operating in Vienna.
More recently, Austria has stirred controversy by becoming a hub for Russian intelligence activity. Exploiting lax laws, Russian agents have been operating with free rein in the country, gathering information on dissidents operating in Europe. A Hungarian independent news outlet confirmed the presence of 100 Russian agents operating in Vienna.
Known for its long-standing military neutrality, Austria hosts the headquarters of international organizations such as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and one of the four major offices of the United Nations, making it a target for sensitive information about European security.
The opposition is also in favor of tougher penalties for espionage. But Interior Minister Gerhard Karner of the Austrian People’s Party goes further than the Green party, demanding additional surveillance of communications and telephone calls in a way that would be legally compliant.
