Chancellery in Vienna: It is the first time that Austria has expelled a Russian diplomat from the country (archive image)
Photo: Kerstin Joensson / APIt is the first time that Austria has expelled a Russian diplomat from the country. A spokesman for the Vienna Foreign Ministry explained the move by saying that the Russian diplomat had violated the provisions of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Diplomats. Specifically, it is probably about the allegation of industrial espionage. That reported the Vienna "Kronen Zeitung". There it says the diplomat has to leave the country by September 1st.
What we know so far about the espionage allegations against the Russian diplomat: The man is said to have spied on a high-tech company based in Vienna together with an Austrian for years. After the Austrian informed his superior about this activity, the first investigations took place. In June the Austrian confessed to espionage in a trial before the Vienna Regional Court and was fined 50,000 euros.
The Russian diplomat has so far refused to give any testimony, citing his diplomatic immunity. Moscow reacted indignantly to the allegations and appointed the Austrian ambassador. In addition to protesting the "unfounded decision", the Kremlin declared an Austrian diplomat to be an undesirable person as a mirror-image measure, according to the state news agency Tass.
The mutual expulsion of diplomats clouded the relationship between Austria and Russia. The two countries actually have good relations. Austria sees itself as a bridge between East and West and, among other things, separated itself from the majority of European countries in 2018 in the case of the poison attack on former Russian double agent Sergej Skripal in Great Britain. At that time Austria refused to expel Russian diplomats in retaliation.
Icon: The mirrormsc / dpa / AFP