Federal Police Director Michael Takacs confirmed to ORF on the sidelines of a press conference that the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution had detained an Austrian with Tunisian roots. “It was a big hunt with the support of the police. In principle, the responsibility rests with the judiciary, but the police always help when needed. We did it. We were able to arrest the culprit, so everything is back to normal,” said Takacs.
The 19-year-old used a doctor's appointment at the Brothers of Mercy hospital in Vienna-Leopoldstadt to escape from judicial custody on Friday. In this case, the irregularities of the officials accompanying him are also being investigated.
Arrest at Floridsdorf
A 19-year-old man, who is being investigated by the Wiener Neustadt public prosecutor's office as a terrorist organization (§278b StGB), was arrested around 8 am in the district of Floridsdorf. He pleaded no contest, APA said. After the young man's successful escape, the Office of Constitutional Protection, which had been focusing on the 19-year-old for some time, could have tracked down places, locations and addresses where the wanted man could be expected. appearing
The access took place at such a place on Saturday morning. According to the latest information from APA, the 19-year-old is now back in a cell at the Vienna-Josephstadt prison.
He was detained for terrorism investigations
The man was jailed until January 2024 after being convicted of burglary and assault. After serving his sentence, he was immediately detained as a result of investigations into suspected terrorism. “He sympathized with the Islamic State (IS) and wanted to join it,” DSN said on Saturday of the suspect, adding that the Justice Ministry, which is responsible for the matter, has remained silent on the matter since Friday. Presumption of innocence.
In principle, 19-year-old Wiener Neustadt should be accommodated in the Wiener Neustadt Correctional Institution in pre-trial detention imposed by the Regional Court. However, he had to be transferred to the Josefstadt Correctional Center as he claimed to be unwell.
Perhaps escape from concerned helpers
The head of the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence (DSN), Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, was satisfied with the swift capture of the suspect. “Thanks to the professionalism and good work of our investigators at DSN, the suspect was arrested after a quick search. As today's successful, rapid manhunt demonstrated, the quick and reliable intervention of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution is crucial in a dangerous situation,” Haijawi-Birchner said in a statement.
The 19-year-old may have had accomplices to escape. “Possible involvement of fugitive accomplices cannot yet be ruled out and is currently being investigated. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution will hand the suspect back to the Judiciary after a successful search,” the DSN said.
A series of escape attempts last year
Last November, a series of escape attempts took place when he was taken to medical appointments from prisons in Vienna and Lower Austria. In four out of five cases, the escaped prisoners were recaptured by the police. However, a 35-year-old inmate of Stein Jail is still on the run.
The Ministry of Justice responded with 21 inspections of companies and a round table where it was decided to tighten security measures. How the suspected IS terrorist managed to escape from the hands of the judicial police remains unclear due to lack of information.
FPÖ calls for Jadik's resignation
The FPÖ has called for Justice Minister Jadik to resign “in the interests of Austrian security,” as it put it in a press release Saturday morning. “The Green Justice under Minister Jadik must now end soon before something bad happens. This minister must resign because the prisons are not under control,” said FPÖ General Secretary Michael Schnetlitz.
“This worrying series of accidents is now becoming more dangerous. “Islamists in prisons can not only communicate freely by telephone and organize their terrorist activities, but it is very easy for them to escape,” noted FPÖ General Secretary Schnetlitz. Prisons are “overcrowded”, prison guards are “overburdened and overstretched in terms of personnel, infrastructure and finances”.
Criticism of withdrawal of protective orders
In addition, Jadic “rescinded without reason the safety orders issued last November – back restraints and waist belts – which were issued at the beginning of January, after a series of accidents last year,” said FPÖ National Council member Christian Lasch. A jailer.
Last fall, in view of the increasing number of escape attempts, the Directorate General of Prisons ordered prisons to handcuff inmates behind their bodies during future medical visits. Prisons have also been informed that outpatient medical appointments in hospitals with inmates can only be made under special precautions until further notice.
