It was a scandal that shook the Republic of Austria. Almost exactly four years ago, the so-called Ibiza video was published. Now it came out: Julian Hessenthaler, who shot the video, went into hiding in Murnau when the affair boiled over.
Murnau – Julian Hessentaler has recently been released again. The 43-year-old was in prison for drug trafficking. The private detective emphasizes that he did not do what he was convicted of. He sees it this way: He was punished on behalf of what he could not be prosecuted for: the Ibiza video. The Süddeutsche Zeitung and Der Spiegel had published the recording in mid-May 2019 and reported extensively on it. The footage was secretly filmed and showed a meeting of FPÖ politicians Heinz-Christian Strache and Johann Gudenus with an alleged niece of a Russian oligarch in a villa on the Spanish island of Ibiza. It was an evening a few months before the 2017 National Council elections, and Strache, who fell into a trap, was not just ranting about a controlled media landscape like in Hungary. The meeting is also about questionable deals, allegedly illegal party donations and about bringing the high-circulation Kronen-Zeitung politically into line with Strache.
As it turned out, Hessenthaler was sitting in Murnau when the Ibiza video became public. From there, he watched as the earthquake he triggered shook Austria to its foundations and how his project made headlines worldwide. Strache resigned as vice-chancellor and party leader, and the coalition of the ÖVP and FPÖ collapsed.
Submerged in apartment
Why did he take up residence in Murnau of all places when the affair started? "A lawyer friend from Munich had a client who rents out a holiday apartment in Murnau," says Hessenthaler. "I was in Murnau for about twelve days and was primarily concerned with the fallout of the release, but also had the time to walk along the lakeshore several times or in the surrounding forests." He also remembers an "excellent ice cream parlour".
Months earlier, he had booked a holiday in Spain. Therefore, according to his own statements, he flew from Munich as scheduled on May 31, 2019. Soon, however, Hessenthaler's identity became known. The man went into hiding, at some point drug allegations arose. He was located in Berlin and extradited to the Austrian authorities. The case with the alleged drug trafficking is not closed for him. A lawsuit is pending before the European Court of Human Rights.
Hessenthaler, who has involuntarily become a public figure, has been making frequent appearances lately. He allows himself to be interviewed in sold-out events, by newspapers and on television, and is present. He has "good memories" of Murnau, says the Austrian, who now works for a real estate trustee. In addition to the ice cream parlour, he thinks of "a small bakery that was also open on public holidays and where I regularly stocked up on pretzels".
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