2024-01-22 06:00:36
Independent and non-instructional advisory board appointed on January 19, 2024
Vienna (OTS) – In order to be able to quickly resolve allegations once morest law enforcement officials, the Ministry of the Interior is setting up the “Investigation and Complaints Office for Allegations of Mistreatment” (EBM), which will begin operations on January 22, 2024. This means that in the future there will be a central and independent unit that will investigate such allegations without instructions. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner emphasized that this would further strengthen the existing trust in the executive branch.
“The main aim of the innovation is to further strengthen the high level of trust in the executive branch,” emphasized Interior Minister Gerhard Karner. “There is hardly any organization that is under as much public scrutiny as the police. People film with their cell phones during almost every operation. “An independent complaints office is therefore an important step in being able to quickly resolve all allegations where someone feels they have been treated unfairly,” said Interior Minister Karner.
The advisory board is intended to serve as a quality assurance advisory body, but cannot intervene in investigations. EBM is already 80 percent staffed and the number of employees will be in the mid-double-digit range. In addition to criminal police officers, who have investigative powers under the Code of Criminal Procedure, people with psychological and social science expertise will also work in the EBM in order to shed light on investigations from different perspectives. In addition to complaints regarding police violence, the office will also investigate the use of coercive force with fatal consequences as well as cases involving life-threatening use of weapons by law enforcement officers.
Occasionally: members of the advisory board
The advisory board consists of a chairman, his deputy and seven other members as well as seven substitute members (advisory board members). The chairman and his deputy must have special knowledge in the field of fundamental and human rights and have completed law studies. The advisory board members are appointed by the Minister of the Interior for a period of seven years. Reappointments are permitted.
The chairman of the advisory board is Meinrad Handstanger, former vice president of the Administrative Court, who was proposed by VfGH President Christoph Grabenwarter.
The other members are: Attorney Clemens Lahner (proposed by the President of the Austrian Bar Association), the Vice President of the Austrian Medical Association (ÖAK), Harald Schlögel (proposed by the ÖAK), Verena Murschetz, professor at the Institute for Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure Law and Criminology at the University of Innsbruck (suggested by the President of the University Conference), human rights activist Philipp Sonderegger (suggested by “SOS Mitmensch”), the regional director of the “White Ring Lower Austria”, Martin Prinz (suggested by the President of the “White Ring”), the head of the ZARA advice centers ( Civil courage and anti-racism work), Dilber Dikme (suggested by ZARA) and “Amnesty International” lawyer Teresa Exenberger (suggested by “Amnesty International”).
Photos at: Investigation and Complaint Office – Photo Station 6 (bildarchiv.myds.me)
Questions & Contact:
federal Ministry of Internal Affairs
Ministerial Councilor Markus Haindl, BA MA
Press spokesman for the Federal Minister
+43 (0) 1-531 26 – 90 1021
markus.haindl@bmi.gv.at
www.bmi.gv.at
1705903609
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