Former Austrian chancellor sentenced to prison
Former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz was found guilty and sentenced to eight months of conditional imprisonment for providing false statements to a parliamentary inquiry committee investigating the "Ibiza scandal," one of the biggest scandals in the country's history. The verdict was announced by Judge Michael Radasztics at the Vienna Regional Court.
The scandal, known as the "Ibiza scandal," erupted following the release of a video showing the former Vice Chancellor and far-right leader Heinz Christian Strache negotiating state contracts and other matters in favor of Russia on Spain's Ibiza Island. Judge Radasztics stated that Kurz downplayed his role and intentionally made false statements during his testimony before the parliamentary commission set up to investigate the scandal.
Kurz, sentenced for making false statements, faces a conditional prison term, a legal measure in Austria where individuals are not jailed but monitored for a set period to see if they commit any further crimes.
Kurz has appealed the court's decision, arguing that he was unprepared for the commission's investigation, forgot some details, and did not intentionally mislead. However, the prosecution interpreted the situation differently.
The scandal initially came to light in 2019 with the publication of a video involving Strache, then Vice Chancellor and leader of the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), discussing state contracts and media share sales in favor of Russian interests, which led to his resignation and the formation of a parliamentary inquiry commission. Kurz testified before this commission in 2020 and was later investigated for allegedly providing false testimony.
