Ex-Austrian Spy Faces Trial for Betraying Nation to Russia

A Vienna court opened Austria's largest espionage trial in decades on Thursday against Egisto Ott, a 63-year-old former intelligence officer. Prosecutors say he betrayed his country by sharing sensitive data and devices with Russian agents through fugitive Jan Marsalek, a former Wirecard executive wanted for fraud and spying. Ott denies the charges and faces up to five years in prison if convicted.

Background

Egisto Ott worked as a chief inspector at the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counterterrorism, known as the BVT, until it was dissolved. His job involved support tasks, not querying databases or handling undercover operations. He was suspended in 2017 amid earlier suspicions but was acquitted in a separate case about passing information to a politician.

The case ties back to Jan Marsalek, once a top executive at Wirecard, the German payments firm that collapsed in scandal. Marsalek fled in 2020 and is now believed to work for Russia's FSB, the domestic intelligence service. Prosecutors claim Ott took orders from Marsalek starting in 2015, receiving over 80,000 euros in payments. Marsalek remains at large, possibly in Russia, and could not be reached.

Austria has faced several spying cases linked to Russia in recent years. In 2020, a retired army colonel was convicted of spying for Moscow over decades. This trial comes as Europe deals with more reports of Russian intelligence activity, including a London court case last year that convicted three Bulgarians in a spy ring run by Marsalek.

Ott's alleged actions happened between 2015 and 2022. At the time, his boss, Martin Weiss, was on long-term sick leave but is said to have passed tasks to Ott. Weiss is now in hiding and accused of acting for Marsalek. A second police officer defendant is also on trial with Ott.

Key Details

Prosecutors laid out the charges in Vienna's Regional Criminal Court, Room 401. The reading of the indictment started late due to computer issues. The room had a good crowd of reporters and observers, though not packed.

Data Queries and False Stories

Ott is accused of making hundreds of unauthorized searches in police and European databases. He targeted people Russia wanted to find, like Dmitry Senin, a former Russian spy who fled to Montenegro and sought asylum there. Prosecutors say Ott made up stories linking Senin to anarchist groups to justify the searches. He did the same for other Russians who had broken ties with Moscow.

He also asked friendly officers in Italy and the UK for help, making those countries unwittingly aid Russia. Ott saved the results in his private Gmail or unrelated agency files. His lawyer, Anna Mair, says he acted on orders from a superior linked to an allied intelligence agency trying to recruit Senin, not Russia.

One target was Christo Grozev, a Bulgarian journalist with Bellingcat who reported on the 2018 poisoning of Sergei Skripal in Britain. Ott gave Grozev's Vienna address to Marsalek, leading to a break-in at his apartment. Grozev moved away for safety. Ott says he looked him up to talk about Bellingcat's work.

Devices Handed to Russia

Beyond data, Ott allegedly passed on mobile phones from top Austrian Interior Ministry officials. This gave Russia access to thousands of contacts, endangering Ukrainian and Chechen refugees in Austria.

He also handed over an encrypted laptop from SINA, Austria's signals intelligence agency. The device had special hardware for secure EU communications, not known to the public. Prosecutors say Marsalek sold it to Russia's FSB for 20,000 euros, and it later went to Iran.

Investigators found a document Ott wrote after a 2019 murder in Berlin of a Chechen man by a Russian agent. Prosecutors call it a manual for future killings on EU soil.

"Put simply, this amounts to treason." – Prosecutor

Ott arrived early with his lawyer, surrounded by cameras. When asked about the charges, he said, "No comment." Later in court, he told the judge: "Do you really think I would do that? That I am that dumb?" His lawyer called him highly intelligent and said he would have hidden his tracks better if guilty.

The trial has ten hearing days set through early March. Witnesses start in February. Ott and the co-defendant will speak more on Friday.

What This Means

This case highlights how Russian intelligence may use Europeans in key jobs to track opponents in the West. Refugees from Ukraine, Chechnya, and defected spies faced real risks from the leaked data and devices. Austria's reputation with allied services took a hit, as the indictment notes potential serious damage.

It sheds light on Marsalek's wider network. The Wirecard fugitive is linked to spy rings across Europe, including the UK convictions. More details could emerge on how he operated from hiding.

For Austria, the trial tests its security after the BVT shutdown. It comes amid EU worries about espionage, especially since Russia's war in Ukraine. Success for prosecutors could lead to tighter database rules and better checks on officials.

Ott's not guilty plea sets up a battle over motives. Was he following orders or selling out? Witness accounts will matter. The outcome may affect other probes into Marsalek and Russian activities in Vienna, long a hub between East and West.

The proceedings continue, with Europe watching for signs of deeper threats.