Press release of the RCIT Media Team, 8 May 2024, www.thecommunists.net
As we reported a few days ago, the pro-Palestine activist Michael Pröbsting was sentenced to a suspended sentence of six months in prison in a trial on 2 May. Michael, who is also International Secretary of the Revolutionary Communist International Tendency (RCIT), was charged with “incitement to commit terrorist offenses and approval of terrorist offenses“. The basis for this accusation was his solidarity with the Palestinian resistance and his opposition to the Israeli apartheid state, which he expressed in a video message. (See https://www.thecommunists.net/rcit/petition-no-to-criminal-complaint-against-pro-palestine-activist-michael-proebsting/#anker_24)
In consultation with his lawyer, Dr. Astrid Wagner, Michael has now filed an appeal against this verdict. “As I said in court, this is a political trial. A guilty verdict – even if it is relatively lenient – can serve as a precedent to condemn other pro-Palestine activists. This must not happen!”
In addition, a criminal complaint was filed against the head of the police operation at the trial on May 2nd at the Vienna Regional Court for Criminal Matters on suspicion of abuse of office in accordance with Section 302 of the Criminal Code. As reported, the trial was moved to a very small hall at short notice, which meant that not only were almost no observers able to attend (including Michael’s wife), but not even all of the journalists present. When a journalist left the hall and a seat became available, the head of the police operation prevented another journalist (from Servus-TV) from entering the hall.
Dr. Wagner said: “This is about a pillar of the rule of law. According to the Austrian Federal Constitution (Article 90 B-VG), all court hearings are generally public. In principle, every person must have access to a court hearing. If even individual journalists are now excluded from a trial, it will set a dangerous precedent!”
We reiterate that regardless of the final outcome of the process, our solidarity with the Palestinian liberation struggle will not diminish! We will continue!