Sebastian Kurz Acquitted: A Turnaround in Vienna’s Legal Drama

Former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz was acquitted by a Vienna court of making false statements related to a parliamentary inquiry on government corruption. This decision reverses a previous verdict that handed him a suspended prison sentence. Kurz was initially found guilty of providing misleading testimony about OeBAG's leadership selection.

In a surprising legal development, former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has been acquitted by a Vienna court of making false statements to a parliamentary inquiry. The decision reverses a previous verdict that had imposed a suspended prison sentence on Kurz for allegedly misleading officials.

The case involved Kurz's testimony about his government's coalition activities, particularly concerning the establishment and administration of OeBAG, a holding company managing state interests in several enterprises. Kurz was accused of lying in June 2020 about the appointment processes within OeBAG.

The Vienna upper state court's panel of judges overturned the earlier ruling during a brief appeal hearing, as reported by the Austria Press Agency. Initially, in February 2024, Kurz was found guilty of false statements concerning the appointment procedure of company officials but later received redemption with this verdict.

(With inputs from agencies.)