Austrian Court Rules Not To Arrest Ex-Colonel Suspected Of Spying For Russia

A regional court in the Austrian state of Salzburg on Tuesday ruled not to take into custody a retired Austrian colonel suspected of spying in favor of Russia, a spokesperson for the court told Sputnik.

VIENNA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th November, 2018) A regional court in the Austrian state of Salzburg on Tuesday ruled not to take into custody a retired Austrian colonel suspected of spying in favor of Russia, a spokesperson for the court told Sputnik.

On Friday, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz confirmed media reports suggesting that a retired colonel of the Austrian Armed Forced had been suspected by Vienna of espionage. Kurz said that the suspect allegedly worked for Moscow since the 1990s and demanded that the Russian side provide "transparent" information on the matter.

"This morning, the regional court of Salzburg represented by a judge in charge of pre-trial detention and protection of human rights turned down the request of the prosecutor's office of Salzburg to place the detained officer of the armed forces in custody," the spokesperson said.

According to the spokesperson, the court has serious suspicions against the officer but does not see sufficient grounds for his arrest.

Following the statements from Vienna concerning the spy scandal, Moscow expressed protest to Austrian Ambassador to Russia Johannes Aigner. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Vienna's steps are based on suspicions without evidence, and they have already complicated bilateral relations.

On Monday, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen said that the investigation into the case was underway, warning against dramatizing the situation.