Investigations against Carinthian journalists stopped

The Carinthian public prosecutor’s office had taken action against the freelance journalist for “contributing to the violation of official secrecy and the violation of data protection law”. Computers and mobile phones were confiscated because Miklautz had reported on mismanagement around the Klagenfurt town hall based on secret documents that had been passed on to him.

“Yesterday, the Graz Public Prosecutor’s Office became aware of media reports about the confiscation of data carriers belonging to the journalist Franz Miklautz. An evaluation of the process was initiated immediately and the Klagenfurt Public Prosecutor’s Office was requested to report with the submission of files. After examining the report and the files, the Graz Public Prosecutor’s Office issued a statement today in agreement with the Federal Ministry of Justice, the instruction to discontinue the proceedings initiated against Franz Miklautz on the suspicion of violating official secrecy as the intended or contributory offender based on complaints by those responsible in the city of Klagenfurt and to immediately hand over the seized data carriers,” the senior public prosecutor’s office in Graz said on know by mail on Thursday afternoon.

Public prosecutor’s office in Klagenfurt was “sensitized”

Editorial secrecy is also protected by the Code of Criminal Procedure and should not be circumvented by securing the data – unless the journalist in question is himself urgently suspected of the crime. This was also communicated to the public prosecutor’s office in Klagenfurt. She has been “sensitized regarding the protection of professional and editorial secrets”.

On Thursday afternoon, Justice Minister Alma Zadic (Greens) also commented on the cause: “Freedom of the press is an indisputable basic principle of our democracy. Of course, this also includes the protection of journalistic sources and editorial confidentiality – especially in investigations.” That is why they “acted quickly and decisively” and the OStA Graz issued the corresponding instructions in agreement with the Ministry of Justice. Of course, the seized data carriers will not be evaluated until they are handed over to Franz Miklautz. “The OStA Graz, together with the ministry, exercised its specialist supervision in this case carefully and quickly and took the necessary action to correct the legal errors in this case,” the justice minister praised the Graz public prosecutor’s office.

There was understandable joy in view of the good news from Franz Miklautz, who spoke up via Twitter: “The proceedings against me were discontinued. On Monday I thought: Fuck journalism. Today I think: Never give up! Now even more so. Me I am infinitely grateful to countless people.”