Austria’s justice minister said on Thursday she planned to tighten the country’s rules on espionage, which are currently explicitly prohibited if targeted against Austria itself, but not if targeted against other countries or international organizations.

Justice Minister Alma Zadic’s push to tighten Austrian laws comes as the arrest of a former Austrian intelligence officer on suspicion of spying for Russia has cast a spotlight on espionage in the country.

Austria is a member of the European Union and pursues a policy of military neutrality. Its capital, Vienna, is home to several United Nations agencies and other international organizations, such as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Austria’s criminal code currently states that anyone who “establishes or operates a secret intelligence service to the detriment of the Republic of Austria or in any way supports such an intelligence service” faces between six months and five years in prison. It also bans the establishment, operation or support of “military intelligence services” for “foreign powers or supra-agency or international bodies”, punishable by up to two years in prison.

Zadic said in a statement to the Austrian news agency that the country has long been accused of being an “island of happiness” for intelligence agencies around the world, lamenting “the legal loopholes that have so far allowed foreign intelligence agencies to carry out espionage operations.” “. In Austria there is no punishment. “

“We want to expand the espionage paragraph so that in the future, our law enforcement authorities can also take action against foreign spies when they are not targeting Austria itself, but international organizations based here, such as the United Nations or friendly countries,” she said.

Zadic is a minor member of the Greens, the ruling coalition led by German Chancellor Karl Nehammer. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner, a member of Nehammer’s Austrian People’s Party, told Oe1 radio that he believed tougher penalties for espionage were needed, but he also reiterated calls for authorities to be allowed to eavesdrop on communications services call, and the Greens were hesitant. .