Egisto Ott, a former intelligence official, has been found guilty of spying for Russia, marking one of Austria's most significant spy trials in recent years. A Vienna jury sentenced the 63-year-old to four years and one month in prison for leaking information to Russian intelligence officers and Jan Marsalek, the fugitive executive of the defunct German payments firm, Wirecard.
Ott, who denies the charges, plans to appeal the verdict. He was convicted not only of espionage but also of misuse of office, bribery, aggravated fraud, and breach of trust. During the trial, it emerged that he supported a secret Russian intelligence service by collecting classified data, including personal information from police databases, over a five-year period from 2015 to 2020.
Prosecutors alleged that Ott provided sensitive information to Marsalek and representatives of the Russian intelligence services in exchange for payment. Marsalek, who is an Austrian citizen believed to be hiding in Moscow, is wanted by German authorities for fraud.
The court heard how Ott was tasked with acquiring a laptop containing classified electronic security hardware used by EU states for secure communications, which was ultimately delivered to Russian intelligence. Additionally, Ott passed phone data from senior officials in the Austrian interior ministry to Russia after they inadvertently dropped their phones into the River Danube during a ministry boating trip.
Prosecutors argued that Ott acted out of financial desperation rather than ideological commitment to Russia. The case has sparked renewed fears regarding Austria's ongoing vulnerability to Russian espionage activities, with Austria's former Chancellor Karl Nehammer describing it as a significant threat to democracy and national security.
Ott, who denies the charges, plans to appeal the verdict. He was convicted not only of espionage but also of misuse of office, bribery, aggravated fraud, and breach of trust. During the trial, it emerged that he supported a secret Russian intelligence service by collecting classified data, including personal information from police databases, over a five-year period from 2015 to 2020.
Prosecutors alleged that Ott provided sensitive information to Marsalek and representatives of the Russian intelligence services in exchange for payment. Marsalek, who is an Austrian citizen believed to be hiding in Moscow, is wanted by German authorities for fraud.
The court heard how Ott was tasked with acquiring a laptop containing classified electronic security hardware used by EU states for secure communications, which was ultimately delivered to Russian intelligence. Additionally, Ott passed phone data from senior officials in the Austrian interior ministry to Russia after they inadvertently dropped their phones into the River Danube during a ministry boating trip.
Prosecutors argued that Ott acted out of financial desperation rather than ideological commitment to Russia. The case has sparked renewed fears regarding Austria's ongoing vulnerability to Russian espionage activities, with Austria's former Chancellor Karl Nehammer describing it as a significant threat to democracy and national security.
