Austria's justice minister said Thursday that she plans to tighten the country's rules on espionage, which currently is explicitly banned if directed against Austria itself but not if it targets other countries or international organizations. Justice Minister Alma Zadic's push to tighten Austria's laws comes as the arrest of a former Austrian intelligence officer on allegations of spying for Russia focuses attention on espionage activities in the country.
It also bans setting up, operating or supporting a “military intelligence service” for “a foreign power or a supra- or international body,” which can carry a prison sentence of up to two years. Zadic said in a statement to the Austria Press Agency that the country has long been accused of being an “island of the blessed” for intelligence services from around the world and lamented that “gaps in the law so far have allowed foreign intelligence services to spy with impunity in Austria.