A court in Austria has handed down a sentence to Egisto Ott, a former officer of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counter-Terrorism (BVT). He was found guilty of abuse of office and spying for Russia.
Ott was sentenced to four years and one month in prison. This sentence is close to the maximum – he faced up to five years in prison.
According to the investigation and the court, Ott, who held a senior position in Austrian counter-intelligence, passed on confidential information to the Russian security services. His activities caused damage to Austria’s national security.
The Egisto Ott case has become one of the most high-profile espionage scandals in Austria in recent years. It has drawn increased attention to issues of protecting state secrets and the possible infiltration of European intelligence services by foreign intelligence agencies.
Prosecutors emphasised that the defendant had deliberately used his official position to pass on information of interest to a foreign state. Ott himself partially admitted his guilt during the trial, though details of the case remain partially classified on grounds of state secrecy.
The verdict has not yet become final and may be appealed to higher courts.