Austria-wide raids against extremist anti-state organisation
Police in Austria raided eight houses on Wednesday, in an investigation into the anti-state movement the "Federal State of Prussia".
The Ministry of the Interior in Vienna announced that the Office for the Protection of the Constitution had ordered eight house searches on Wednesday, with a total of 41 suspects in five federal provinces under investigation.
The primary focus of the inquiry is directed at the fictional movement "Bundesstaat Preußen" - the "Federal State of Prussia" - which is known for its hostile stance against the Austrian Republic, its institutions, and the principles of the rule of law.
The self-proclaimed "Bundesstaat Preußen" movement primarily aims to disrupt public administration by submitting baseless legal claims and prolonging administrative procedures. Law enforcement has also found evidence pointing towards some members being involved in criminal activities against the state, including acts of treason, threats, and coercion.
The Austrian authorities have expressed concern over the threat posed by state-hostile groups to the country's democratic values and freedoms. The Directorate for State Protection and Intelligence Service (DSN) in Vienna, Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, emphasised the seriousness of the situation, given the high number of suspects involved in the operation.
READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: What is Austria’s prohibition law and how is it about to change?
"State-hostile groups pose a significant threat to the values and freedoms of our democracy," Haijawi-Pirchner said. "The high number of suspects involved in this operation clearly indicates that the danger posed by this scene is to be taken seriously, and that is precisely what the counterintelligence is doing."
As part of the coordinated action, various police units, including Cobra special forces, Einsatzkommando Kärnten, Rapid Response Forces, and Kärnten State Police Directorate personnel, conducted simultaneous house searches in six locations in Carinthia. State security sensors, evidence-securing teams, and IT investigators were also deployed during the operation.
In addition to the raids in Carinthia, two more house searches and at least 30 interrogations took place in other Austrian federal states, including Vienna, Vorarlberg, Upper Austria, and Lower Austria. The results of these searches are currently being examined and evaluated by the authorities, who plan to release further information as they gather more evidence.
According to authorities, the emergence of an anti-democratic scene in Austria has been fueled in part by various protest groups which opposed the government's COVID-19 measures.
There are also indications that the "Bundesstaat Preußen" has connections to other extremist groups, including the "Reichsbürger" scene in Germany, which denies the existence of the German state.
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The Ministry of the Interior in Vienna announced that the Office for the Protection of the Constitution had ordered eight house searches on Wednesday, with a total of 41 suspects in five federal provinces under investigation.
The primary focus of the inquiry is directed at the fictional movement "Bundesstaat Preußen" - the "Federal State of Prussia" - which is known for its hostile stance against the Austrian Republic, its institutions, and the principles of the rule of law.
The self-proclaimed "Bundesstaat Preußen" movement primarily aims to disrupt public administration by submitting baseless legal claims and prolonging administrative procedures. Law enforcement has also found evidence pointing towards some members being involved in criminal activities against the state, including acts of treason, threats, and coercion.
The Austrian authorities have expressed concern over the threat posed by state-hostile groups to the country's democratic values and freedoms. The Directorate for State Protection and Intelligence Service (DSN) in Vienna, Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, emphasised the seriousness of the situation, given the high number of suspects involved in the operation.
READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: What is Austria’s prohibition law and how is it about to change?
"State-hostile groups pose a significant threat to the values and freedoms of our democracy," Haijawi-Pirchner said. "The high number of suspects involved in this operation clearly indicates that the danger posed by this scene is to be taken seriously, and that is precisely what the counterintelligence is doing."
As part of the coordinated action, various police units, including Cobra special forces, Einsatzkommando Kärnten, Rapid Response Forces, and Kärnten State Police Directorate personnel, conducted simultaneous house searches in six locations in Carinthia. State security sensors, evidence-securing teams, and IT investigators were also deployed during the operation.
In addition to the raids in Carinthia, two more house searches and at least 30 interrogations took place in other Austrian federal states, including Vienna, Vorarlberg, Upper Austria, and Lower Austria. The results of these searches are currently being examined and evaluated by the authorities, who plan to release further information as they gather more evidence.
According to authorities, the emergence of an anti-democratic scene in Austria has been fueled in part by various protest groups which opposed the government's COVID-19 measures.
There are also indications that the "Bundesstaat Preußen" has connections to other extremist groups, including the "Reichsbürger" scene in Germany, which denies the existence of the German state.
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