"Unwillingness shown"

Prison sentences imposed on climate campaigners

An activist is carried to the side.

(Bild: Letzte Generation AT, Krone KREATIV)

Now things are getting tight for the climate campaigners: for the first time, so-called primary prison sentences have now been imposed on activists of the "last generation". This is the most severe type of penalty in administrative criminal law, where prison sentences are imposed directly instead of fines. An appeal has already been lodged against this.

The "Last Generation" speaks of a new tactic used by the authorities to put an end to their protests since February. Primary arrests are prison sentences without prior trial. "They want to use immediate imprisonment to prevent us from drawing attention to the unpleasant truth of the climate catastrophe," said spokesperson Anna Freund.

According to spokeswoman Marina Hagen-Canaval, one person in Graz was sentenced to three days for disturbing public order and six days for not leaving a meeting, while three people in Vienna were sentenced to ten and 14 days respectively - in each case by the provincial police directorates. One of them is graphic designer Stephanie Koch: "I was given a prison sentence of ten days for the last protest." According to the authorities, she "showed unwillingness" to comply with the law.

I was given a ten-day prison sentence for the last protest.

Aktivistin Stephanie Koch

Police spokesman Fritz Grundnig confirmed that one person in the Styrian capital has so far been placed under primary arrest. This was done because the person had committed the same offense several times before and the fines imposed so far had had no effect. In addition, it was assumed that this type of behavior would continue.

Only after a case-by-case assessment
In any case, primary detention is only imposed after a case-by-case assessment and could theoretically also be imposed for any other administrative offense if fines have no effect.

"Is it really proportionate to lock up people who are protesting for the preservation of the livelihoods of all Austrians without a judicial hearing?" said spokesperson Anna Freund. She called on Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) to enshrine climate protection as a constitutional right - "and we will stop our protests immediately".

"Don't dance around on our noses"
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) said: "The cases in Vienna and Styria show that the police are taking decisive action against climate stickers and are also imposing arrest sentences on unconvincing repeat offenders. In addition, over 1000 arrests have been made since the beginning of last year. The police do not allow activists to dance around on their noses."