No consequences

Rosenkranz explains delay in requests

National Council President Walter Rosenkranz

(Bild: APA/AFP )

National Council President Walter Rosenkranz (FPÖ) has explained why three extradition requests have been delayed. The background to this is that the public prosecutor's office wants to investigate the blue mandataries Harald Stefan, Martin Graf and club director Norbert Nemeth for re-activation.

As reported, the three politicians attended a funeral at which a song was sung that had been used by the Schutzstaffel SS. The FPÖ insists that this is a historically untainted version from 1814. The Jewish Austrian University Students (ÖH) reported the FPÖ politicians and other individuals to the Vienna public prosecutor's office on charges of re-activation.

On November 20, Rosenkranz is said to have received mail from the public prosecutor's office requesting that the immunity of those involved be lifted. The parties had only found out about this from the media, according to criticism. Rosenkranz was accused of withholding the requests for several days.

No details given for delay
On Wednesday, Rosenkranz's office announced after a meeting that the delay had been clarified and that there would be no further consequences. The reason was not given. "He has explained himself. This has been noted," the office of the Third President of the National Council Doris Bures (SPÖ) announced.

The extradition requests will now be dealt with by the Immunity Committee. Rosenkranz's office argued that concealing the requests would have achieved nothing. After eight weeks, the mandataries would lose their parliamentary immunity. The complaint by the Jewish Student Union against Rosenkranz herself had not yet been received. It concerns abuse of office due to the delay.