Article 18
Costs
1. The ordinary costs for the enforcement of the sentence in the territory of Austria shall be borne by Austria.
2. Other costs, including those for the transport of the sentenced person to and from the seat of the Court and those of any expert opinion or report requested by the Court, shall be borne by the Court.
3. In case of escape, the costs associated with the surrender of the sentenced person shall be borne by the Court if no State assumes responsibility for them.
TITLE IV
Judicial Assistance to Foreign Countries
CHAPTER ONE
Requirements
General Principle
§ 50. (1) In accordance with the provisions of this federal law, judicial assistance may be granted in criminal matters upon a request by a foreign authority, including proceedings to order preventive measures and to issue a property-law order, as well as in matters of extinction and the register of criminal records, in proceedings to obtain compensation for confinement and conviction by a criminal
court, in clemency petition matters and in matters concerning the execution of sentences and measures. With the proviso of § 59a, the transfer of data to a foreign authority shall be admissible without such a request.
(2) An authority within the meaning of paragraph (1) shall be a court, a public prosecutor's office, or an agency concerning the execution of sentences or measures.
(3) Judicial assistance within the meaning of paragraph (1) shall be any support that is provided in connection with foreign proceedings in a criminal-law matter. It. also includes consenting to activities as part of cross-border observations on the basis of intergovernmental agreements.
TITLE IV
Judicial Assistance to Foreign Countries
CHAPTER ONE
Requirements
Sending of Objects and Case Files
§ 52. (1) Objects or case files may only be sent if it is ensured that they will be returned as soon as possible. The return of sent objects may be waived if these are no longer required.
(2) Objects to which the Republic of Austria or third parties hold a title may only be sent with the proviso that these rights remain unaffected. It shall not be admissible to send objects and case files if there is reason for concern that this would frustrate or render disproportionately complicated the prosecution or realization of these rights.
(3) Sending objects or case files should be deferred for as long as these are required for court or administrative proceedings pending in Austria.
TITLE IV
Judicial Assistance to Foreign Countries
CHAPTER TWO
Competences and Procedure
Admitting Foreign Agencies and Persons Involved in the Proceedings to Acts of Judicial Assistance
§ 59. (1) It shall not be admissible that foreign agencies perform investigations and procedural steps on the territory of the Republic of Austria under this federal law. However, the competent foreign judge, public prosecutor and other persons involved in proceedings, as well as their legal counsels shall be permitted to attend and to participate in acts of judicial assistance if this appears to be necessary for the
appropriate processing of the request for judicial assistance. The approval of the Federal Minister of Justice shall be obtained for the service operations by foreign agencies required in this context, except for cross-border observations.
(2) Persons who were allowed to attend acts of judicial assistance pursuant to paragraph (1) must not be prosecuted, punished or restricted in their personal liberty during their stay in Austria for an act committed prior to their entry to Austria. It shall, however, be admissible to prosecute, punish or restrict the personal liberty of such persons
1. if the person admitted to attend the act of judicial assistance remains on the territory of the Republic of Austria for more than fifteen days after the act of judicial assistance has been completed, although he/she was in a position and allowed to leave it, or
2. if, after leaving the territory of the Republic of Austria, he/she return at his/her own accord, or is lawfully returned.
(3) If a person who is allowed to attend an act of judicial assistance is being detained in the foreign country, he/she may be taken over at the request of the other State if the detention is based on a conviction by a competent court, or if there is a reason for detention that is also recognized under Austrian law. The transferred person shall be kept detained in Austria and be returned without delay after of the act of judicial assistance has been completed.
Chapter II
European Arrest Warrant and Surrender Procedures between Member States
Part Three
Procedure for Approval of Surrender
Launching a Surrender Procedure
§ 16. (1) The public prosecutor shall launch a surrender procedure, if a request for surrender by a Member State is received, or if it can be presumed, on the basis of specific facts that a person is staying in Austria, for whom a European arrest warrant has been issued, or that an alert for his/her apprehension has been issued under the Schengen Information System. The issuing judicial authority shall be requested to submit a European arrest warrant if the sought person is staying in Austria.
(2) In all other cases, the Federal Ministry of the Interior shall verify whether requests by other Member States for the surrender of a person, which were received by way of an automation-supported search system, by way of the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL), or by some other way of official criminal-police assistance, give rise to trigger an alert in the search instruments for his/her exploration, for the purpose of apprehending that person and committing him/her to the prison of the competent court.
Chapter II
European Arrest Warrant and Surrender Procedures between Member States
Part Three
Procedure for Approval of Surrender
Offer to Surrender
§ 17. (1) The public prosecutor shall verify, also when no European arrest warrant has been received, whether there are grounds for an offer to surrender a person apprehended in Austria to the Member State concerned if – on the basis of specific facts – it must be presumed that he/she has committed acts that are subject to the execution of such an arrest warrant.
(2) If there are grounds for offering the surrender, the public prosecutor shall apply for the launching of a surrender procedure, for the examination of the person concerned by the court and for addressing an inquiry to the judicial authority of the Member State in question.
(3) Upon application by the public prosecutor pursuant to § 18, the court shall impose detention pending surrender upon the person concerned, applying the provisions of § 29 of the ARHG in analogy, unless this appears to be inadmissible, and inquire from the judicial authority of the Member State concerned, enclosing a presentation of the facts, whether a European arrest warrant will be issued against the person concerned. A reasonable time limit shall be set for issuing such an arrest warrant, indicating that, when the time limit expires without any reaction being received, a renunciation of the surrender will be presumed, and the person concerned will be released. The time limit must never exceed 40 days, as of the apprehension of the person concerned. When the time limit expires without any reaction, the
person concerned shall be released without delay, unless the public prosecutor applies immediately that pre-trial detention be imposed upon the person concerned.
Detention Pending Surrender
§ 18. (1) A European arrest warrant or an alert pursuant to Article 95 of the Schengen Agreement Application Convention (SAAC), Federal Law Gazette III No. 90/1997, shall be deemed to be a request for implementing a surrender procedure and imposing detention pending surrender.
(2) The provisions on detention pending extradition pursuant to § 29 of the ARHG shall apply in analogy to detention pending surrender.
Chapter II
European Arrest Warrant and Surrender Procedures between Member States
Part Three
Procedure for Approval of Surrender
Executing the Surrender
§ 24. (4) In connection with the execution of a European arrest warrant, objects shall be handed over pursuant to § 25 and § 41 of the ARHG, to the extent that these items are not personal belongings of the person concerned. If objects located in Austria are subject to confiscation or forfeiture, these objects may only be handed over to the issuing State on the condition that they will be returned at the latest and free of charge, after the criminal proceedings have been finished.
Chapter II
European Arrest Warrant and Surrender Procedures between Member States
Part Four
Obtaining the Execution of a European Arrest Warrant
Search
§ 29. (1) The public prosecutor shall order the apprehension by way of a European arrest warrant authorized by a court, and, if necessary, arrange for an alert of the requested person in the Schengen Information System, pursuant to Article 95 of the SAAC, through the channels of the competent security authorities, if there is reason to launch a search for the apprehension of the requested person in at least one of the Member States. If it is not possible for an alert in the Schengen Information System to obtain a search in all Member States, the services of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) shall also be used.
(2) The public prosecutor shall communicate the European arrest warrant directly to the competent executing judicial authority, if the whereabouts of the requested person in a Member State are known, or if there are certain indications for such whereabouts.
(2a) After filing the formal letter of accusation with the court the arrest on the basis of a European arrest warrant is to be ordered by the court on application of the office of public prosecution. The court in such cases also has to forward the European arrest warrant to the competent execution authority.
(3) If a Member State – in executing a European arrest warrant, which an Austrian judicial authority issues against a person who is a national of that Member State or has his/her domicile or permanent residence in that Member State – requires a guarantee that the person concerned will be returned for the enforcement of a custodial sentence or a preventive measure involving deprivation of liberty, imposed
by the Austrian court, after having been heard, the court shall give that guarantee, upon an application by the public prosecutor, if there is continued reason to execute the European arrest warrant in that Member State. The guarantee shall be binding for the Austrian judicial authorities.
Chapter III
Recognition and Enforcement of Judicial Decisions
Part Two
Execution of Decisions on Seizure by Member States
Prerequisites
§ 45. (1) With regard to the relation with Danmark and Ireland a decision on seizure of means of evidence can be taken or executed because of criminal acts carrying court punishment according to the law of the deciding State and, subject to the provision of para. 3, according to the law of the executing State.
(2) With regard to the relation with all other Member States of the European Union a decision on the freezing of property that might subsequently become subject to an order relating to property rights may be issued or executed because of criminal acts that allow freezing according to the law of the deciding State and of the executing State.
(3) For a decision pursuant to para. 1 or 2 double criminality need not be verified if the offence underlying the freezing order was assigned to one of the categories of offences listed in Annex I and carries a maximum custodial sentence of at least three years according to the law of the issuing State.
(4) The freezing order will only be executed if it is accompanied by a certificate in the form shown in Annex III. If the certificate is incomplete, or if it obviously does not correspond to the freezing order, the issuing judicial authority may be set a time limit for completing or correcting the information, if the available documents are not sufficient for a decision on the execution of the freezing order.
1. Los Estados Partes, de conformidad con lo dispuesto en la presente Parte y con los procedimientos de su derecho interno, deberán cumplir las solicitudes de asistencia formuladas por la Corte en relación con investigaciones o enjuiciamientos penales a fin de:
(a) Identificar y buscar personas u objetos;
(b) Practicar pruebas, incluidos los testimonios bajo juramento, y producir pruebas, incluidos los dictámenes e informes periciales que requiera la Corte;
(c) Interrogar a una persona objeto de investigación o enjuiciamiento;
(d) Notificar documentos, inclusive los documentos judiciales;
(e) Facilitar la comparecencia voluntaria ante la Corte de testigos o expertos;
(f) Proceder al traslado provisional de personas, de conformidad con lo dispuesto en el párrafo 7;
(g) Realizar inspecciones oculares, inclusive la exhumación y el examen de cadáveres y fosas comunes;
(h) Practicar allanamientos y decomisos;
(i) Transmitir registros y documentos, inclusive registros y documentos oficiales;
(j) Proteger a víctimas y testigos y preservar pruebas;
(k) Identificar, determinar el paradero o inmovilizar el producto y los bienes y haberes obtenidos del crimen y de los instrumentos del crimen, o incautarse de ellos, con miras a su decomiso ulterior y sin perjuicio de los derechos de terceros de buena fe; y
(l) Cualquier otro tipo de asistencia no prohibida por la legislación del Estado requerido y destinada a facilitar la investigación y el enjuiciamiento de crímenes de la competencia de la Corte.
2. La Corte podrá dar seguridades a los testigos o expertos que comparezcan ante ella de que no serán enjuiciados o detenidos ni se restringirá su libertad personal por un acto u omisión anterior a su salida del Estado requerido.
3. Cuando la ejecución de una determinada medida de asistencia detallada en una solicitud presentada de conformidad con el párrafo 1 estuviera prohibida en el Estado requerido por un principio fundamental de derecho ya existente y de aplicación general, el Estado requerido celebrará sin demora consultas con la Corte para tratar de resolver la cuestión. En las consultas se debería considerar si se puede prestar la asistencia de otra manera o con sujeción a condiciones. Si, después de celebrar consultas, no se pudiera resolver la cuestión, la Corte modificará la solicitud según sea necesario.
4. El Estado Parte podrá no dar lugar a una solicitud de asistencia, en su totalidad o en parte, de conformidad con el artículo 72 y únicamente si la solicitud se refiere a la presentación de documentos o la divulgación de pruebas que afecten a su seguridad nacional.
5. Antes de denegar una solicitud de asistencia de conformidad con el párrafo 1 l), el Estado requerido considerará si se puede prestar la asistencia con sujeción a ciertas condiciones, o si es posible hacerlo en una fecha posterior o de otra manera. La Corte o el Fiscal, si aceptan la asistencia sujeta a condiciones, tendrán que cumplirlas.
6. Si no se da lugar a una solicitud de asistencia, el Estado Parte requerido deberá comunicar sin demora los motivos a la Corte o al Fiscal.
(a) La Corte podrá solicitar el traslado provisional de un detenido a los fines de su identificación o de que preste testimonio o asistencia de otra índole. El traslado podrá realizarse siempre que:
(i) El detenido dé, libremente y con conocimiento de causa, su consentimiento; y
(ii) El Estado requerido lo acepte, con sujeción a las condiciones que hubiere acordado con la Corte.
(b) La persona trasladada permanecerá detenida. Una vez cumplidos los fines del traslado, la Corte la devolverá sin dilación al Estado requerido.
(a) La Corte velará por la protección del carácter confidencial de los documentos y de la información, salvo en la medida en que éstos sean necesarios para la investigación y las diligencias pedidas en la solicitud.
(b) El Estado requerido podrá, cuando sea necesario, transmitir al Fiscal documentos o información con carácter confidencial. El Fiscal únicamente podrá utilizarlos para reunir nuevas pruebas.
(c) El Estado requerido podrá, de oficio o a solicitud del Fiscal, autorizar la divulgación ulterior de estos documentos o información, los cuales podrán utilizarse como medios de prueba de conformidad con lo dispuesto en las partes V y VI y de conformidad con las Reglas de Procedimiento y Prueba.
(i) El Estado Parte que reciba solicitudes concurrentes de la Corte y de otro Estado de conformidad con una obligación internacional y que no se refieran a la entrega o la extradición, procurará, en consulta con la Corte y el otro Estado, atender ambas solicitudes, de ser necesario postergando o condicionando una de ellas.
(ii) Si esto no fuera posible, la cuestión de las solicitudes concurrentes se resolverá de conformidad con los principios enunciados en el artículo 90.
(b) Sin embargo, cuando la solicitud de la Corte se refiera a información, bienes o personas que estén sometidos al control de un tercer Estado o de una organización internacional en virtud de un acuerdo internacional, el Estado requerido lo comunicará a la Corte y la Corte dirigirá su solicitud al tercer Estado o a la organización internacional.
10. (a) A solicitud de un Estado Parte que lleve a cabo una investigación o sustancie un juicio por una conducta que constituya un crimen de la competencia de la Corte o que constituya un crimen grave con arreglo al derecho interno del Estado requirente, la Corte podrá cooperar con él y prestarle asistencia;
(b)
(i) La asistencia prestada de conformidad con el apartado a) podrá comprender, entre otras cosas:
a. La transmisión de declaraciones, documentos u otros elementos de prueba obtenidos en el curso de una investigación o de un proceso sustanciado por la Corte; y
b. El interrogatorio de una persona detenida por orden de la Corte;
(ii) En el caso de la asistencia prevista en el apartado (b) (i) a.:
a. Si los documentos u otros elementos de prueba se hubieren obtenido con la asistencia de un Estado, su transmisión estará subordinada al consentimiento de dicho Estado;
b. Si las declaraciones, los documentos u otros elementos de prueba hubieren sido proporcionados por un testigo o un perito, su transmisión estará subordinada a lo dispuesto en el artículo 68.
(c) La Corte podrá, de conformidad con el presente párrafo y en las condiciones enunciadas en él, acceder a una solicitud de asistencia presentada por un Estado que no sea parte en el presente Estatuto.