PISMO DRUŠTVA AVSTRIJSKI MINISTRICI ZA PRAVOSODJE

Bundesministerin Mag. Claudia Bandion-Ortner
Bundesministerium für Justiz
Palais Trautson
Museumstraße 7
1070 Wien
Austria
Email: post@bmj.gv.at


Support to the Austrian animal movement

We, as representatives of the below named Slovenian animal advocacy group, have been informed about the final reports from the police investigation into the animal advocacy movement in Austria. It seems that after 2 1/2 years of investigations with all technological means at the disposal of police, including phone tapping, email surveillance, vehicle tracking, concealed informers and 4 extensive electronic eavesdropping operations as well as 26 house searches of activists' homes and 7 animal groups' offices, there was no direct evidence of any criminal activity found. The sole evidence provided in the final reports consists of opinions expressed in private conversations and otherwise of investigative work and civil disobedience actions, which cannot be considered criminal.

The international community of the animal advocacy movement is very concerned that these police operations in Austria are leading to the criminalisation of legitimate campaigning practices. It is indeed very worrying, if Austria should follow up these final reports with charges against a whole section of the movement of being a criminal organisation according to section 278a of the penal code.

Animal advocacy NGOs in our country have for many years engaged in civil disobedience and undercover investigations to document cruelty, and yet nowhere has it been subjected to the kind of police investigation that has happened in Austria, let alone to criminal charges for such activities. Should Austria attempt to criminalize what is in other countries regarded as legitimate political activity, it will be widely seen as departing from the standards of tolerance expected today of liberal democracies.

We therefore would like to ask you as head of the Ministry of Justice in Austria to reconsider such a move. Any free democracy must allow space for protest and the free expression of dissent. A protest movement for such important issues as animal welfare and animal rights is an essential part of any modern society. The right to protest must be upheld and no person should be prosecuted without evidence of criminal wrongdoing. We are very concerned that in Austria, these basic principles of freedom, justice and democracy are being eroded.


Kind regards,

Urska Breznik
For the Animals, Society for the assertion of animal rights