The focus: Investigations against journalists!

The focus: Investigations against journalists!

Villach, Österreich - The Carinthian journalist Franz Miklautz sees himself in heavy fairway after the public prosecutor's office in Klagenfurt initiated investigations against him due to his research on salaries and overtime in the town hall. He was accused of exceeding a border in the contribution to the violation of the official secret, which led to ensuring his cell phone and laptop. But now there is relief: The GRAZ's senior public prosecutor's office has decided that there was no sufficient suspicion for the investigation, as orf.at reported. Miklautz himself expressed grateful and optimistic about the outcome of the cause by noting on Twitter: "Never give up! Now more so."

The procedure was discontinued after the OSTA found that the mere publication of official secrets by third parties did not fall under criminal law. This comes at a time when the freedom of the press in Austria is under special pressure, as Miklautz himself emphasizes. The public prosecutor's office in Klagenfurt must be sensitized when it comes to protecting professional and editorial secrets. In the event of a outcry in the media industry triggered by social pressure, several organizations, including reporters without borders and the press club Concordia, found that these investigations were an "attack on freedom of the press".

background and reactions

The investigation was triggered primarily by Miklautz's intensive reporting on grievances in state politics, in particular about the lush overtime in the Klagenfurt town hall. These reports not only produced the interest of the public, but also that of the authorities. Justice Minister Alma Zadic emphasized the need for strong protection for journalists and their sources in her statement. She explained: "Freedom of the press is an irrefutable basic principle of our democracy."

Although the legal reviews for Miklautz brought a phase of uncertainty, he is determined to continue working as an investigative journalist. The support of colleagues and the public gave him the necessary backing so as not to give up. His story throws a light on the challenges of journalistic freedom in Austria, which is primarily a well -known investment project in Klagenfurt in the context of his research. The encouragement from the industry could be interpreted as encouragement for further investigative work. In sensitive issues like this, it remains essential that journalists are careful about their reporting to inform the public and critically point out grievances.