Austrian Intelligence Officer Convicted of Spying for Russia

An Austrian court found former intelligence officer Egisto Ott guilty of espionage on Wednesday, after he was accused of helping Russia persecute its opponents and selling state-owned laptops and phones at the behest of suspected Moscow agent Jan Marsalek.

In addition to espionage, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, Ott was convicted of abuse of power, bribery, aggravated fraud and breach of trust. He was sentenced to four years and one month in prison.

Ott pleaded not guilty and maintained his innocence throughout the trial, which began in January.

The case is Austria's most significant espionage conviction since 2020, when a retired colonel was found guilty of spying for Moscow over several decades.

(reuters, max)