XXXX SAST REPORT XXXX MARCH 2001 XXXX

MORE THAN A "THIRD-RATE BURGLARY"

Un rapport recense les atteintes à la liberté de la presse en AUTRICHE

Jenbach, Schwaz, Austria -- Nine days later it got pretty ugly again -- but then, ugliness was a sort of common denominator in these days of terror and repression.

Two civilians armed with Glock 17 pistols stormed another room outside Innsbruck where the journalists tried to work, their deadline screaming at them. They took them to the nearby police station and searched the executive case with the remaining press items containing revelations about official corruption.

While being held and interrogated at the police station, all the money, credit cards, personal belongings and professional equipment, documents and films were stolen.

The journalists wonder about the reason for the theft, which could have been motivated by the desire to identify their contacts' names, especially those at the Ministry of Interior.

One Criminal Act After Another

It's no surprise that the entry to the room was denied as well by a gun-toting perpetrator of press freedom, wearing stiff alpine boots. Again only days after rejects, winos, broke into the fine little apartment in Innsbruck and teared the place apart -- the madness started again. The journalists were driven out into the dark, with only shirt, jean and shoes and the executive case with some press items.

Sachsenmaier stressed that SAST REPORT hold the austrian authorities "wholly responsible for the retaliatory measures, which have been carried out for over 15 years, during which the journalists frequently have been victims of accusations, attacks, seizure of equipment, smashing in of doors, pressure on families, friends or contacts and attempts to discredit or divide them."

Back to Front Page

 back   next