Austrian Prisoners Get Green Party visit.

international | animal rights | news report

Friday July 04, 2008 12:00

by Bernie Wright - Alliance For Animal Rights (AFAR)

MP Peter Pilz (Green Party) Visits Martin Balluch in Prison

MP Peter Pilz (Green Party) Visits Martin Balluch in Prison
Directly followed by a press conference outside the entrance to the prison

Today MP Peter Pilz visited DDr Martin Balluch in the Josefstadt
prison in Vienna. He described how he had to pass through three
security checks before being able to speak to Martin over a telephone
and see him through a glass screen. Their conversation was overheard
and documented by a prison official. At a press conference directly
after the visit Mr Pilz told the press that he now had an inkling as
to what it's like to be locked up on remand.

The opportunity to put questions to the Green Party Minister was
seized by members of the press.

MP Pilz's main contention is that, despite the Public Prosecution's
accusations collapsing like a house of cards, so much so that not much
is left over apart from the ominous paragraph 278a (criminal
organisation), the 10 animal protectionists are still imprisoned.

MP Pilz's main contention is that, despite the Public Prosecution's
accusations collapsing like a house of cards, so much so that not much
is left over apart from the ominous paragraph 278a (criminal
organisation), the 10 animal protectionists are still imprisoned.

According to paragraph 278a of the Austrian Criminal Code a criminal
organisation is defined as one which has planned and carried out
recurrent crimes of a severe nature. These offences must carry at
least a penalty of 3 - 4 years. What is being executed here falls into
the normal range of civil disobedience, typical of NGO work. As a
result, Pilz insists that the legally appropriate approach to this
situation be taken: the immediate release of all 10 detainees.
The remand custody is being justified with risk of collusion and risk
of repetition of offences. However, as the significant accusations,
and as a result, also the accusation of paragraph 278a no longer
apply, the risk of collusion can also no longer be upheld. The same
goes for risk of repetition of offences which, without a criminal
organisation can also not be justified.
"In my 21 years of being an MP, I've never experienced anything like
this!"

MP Pilz called for the Minister of Justice, Frau Dr. Berger, to bring
the Public Prosecution's unlawful proceedings to an end and to prevent
the continuation of these serious human rights violations.

__._,_.___ Please write to Peter Pilz and show him that you support the Austrian
green Party! In their effort to free the activists!

peter.pilz@gruene.at