TITLE II
Extradition from Austria
Chapter ONE
Admissibility of Extradition
Surrender of Objects
§ 25. (1) In connection with an extradition, it shall be admissible to surrender objects that may be used as evidence or which the person to be extradited has obtained from the punishable act or from realizing objects originating from said act.
(2) If an extradition cannot be granted that would be admissible pursuant to the provisions of this federal law, because the person to be extradited has absconded or is deceased or could not be apprehended in Austria, objects may nevertheless be surrendered on the basis of a request for extradition or a separate request.
(3) The surrender of objects for the purposes of evidence may be granted with the proviso that these objects will be returned immediately on request.
(4) Surrender shall be inadmissible in any event if there is reason to suspect that it would frustrate or disproportionately complicate prosecution or the exercise of rights of third parties.
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 ONE
Requirements
Transferring Detained Persons for the Evidence Purposes
§ 54. (1) Upon a request by a foreign authority, a person who is being kept in pre-trial detention or punitive detention or who is being kept detained for the execution of measures, may be transferred to a foreign country in order to perform important investigative measures or evidence-taking, especially for the purposes of examining or confronting him/her, if
1. the person agrees to this transfer,
2. his/her presence is not required for criminal proceedings pending in Austria
3. his/her detention is not prolonged on account of the transfer, and
4. the requesting State ensures to keep him/her in custody, to return him/her without delay after the investigative measure or evidence-taking has been completed, as well as not to prosecute or punish him/her for an act committed prior to the transfer.
(2) A transfer shall not interrupt the serving of pre-trial or punitive detention or the execution of a preventive measure.
CHAPTER TWO
Competences and Procedure
Competences for Processing Requests for Judicial Assistance
§ 55. (1) Notwithstanding paragraphs (2) and (3), the public prosecutor’s office with competences for the court district in which the act of judicial assistance is to be performed shall be responsible for processing a request for judicial assistance. If the request calls for a cross-border observation, the public prosecutor’s officer shall be responsible in whose court district the border is most likely to be crossed. In the case of an observation by an aircraft flying to Austria, however the public prosecutor’s office shall be responsible in whose court district the aircraft is to land. If the competences cannot be determined on the basis of the present provisions, the public prosecutor’s office in Vienna shall be responsible. The stipulations of Title 7 of the Code of Criminal Procedure shall apply in analogy to the processing of requests for judicial assistance.
(1a) Information about main proceedings, as well as about the execution of a custodial sentence or preventive measure shall be provided by the adjudicating court; the same shall apply to the examination of persons and for permitting the use of case files, whenever that a bill of indictment has already been filed with an Austrian court and the subject of the request for judicial assistance is connected to the Austrian proceedings. In this case, a single judge shall conduct the examination (§ 31 (1) item 1 of the Code of Criminal Procedure).
(2) If a person to be transferred is being kept in punitive detention or is undergoing the execution of a measure, a single judge of the court indicated in § 16 of the Execution of Punishments Act shall decide about the request for transfer, or else the court that ordered the detention. The Federal Ministry of Justice shall be informed of the decision. The Federal Minister of Justice shall refuse the transfer if one of the circumstances listed in § 2 and § 3 (1) prevails. Transfer to the respective border crossing or any other agreed transfer site shall be performed by court prison guards.
(3) If a person detained in another State is to be transferred through the territory of the Republic of Austria to a third State for important investigative measures or the taking of evidence, especially for the purpose of examination or confrontation, § 44, § 47 and § 49 shall apply in analogy.
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.
TITLE V
Taking Over the Prosecution of a Case and Surveillance; Execution of Foreign Criminal-Court Decisions
CHAPTER ONE
Taking Over the Prosecution of a Case
Competences and Procedures
§ 60. (1) Requests for taking over the prosecution of a case shall be examined provisionally by the Federal Ministry of Justice. If the request for the prosecution of a case cannot give rise to any prosecution, the Federal Minister of Justice shall refuse any further consideration of the request; otherwise, the Federal Minister of Justice shall refer the request to the responsible public prosecutor’s office. At any stage of the proceedings the Federal Minister of Justice may demand – either at his/her own initiative or upon an application by the public prosecutor’s office – from the State requesting the prosecution of a case to provide additional documents. The Federal Minister of Justice shall inform the requesting State about the dispositions taken and about the result of criminal proceedings.
(2) If criminal proceedings are to be taken over, but local jurisdiction cannot be determined, the public prosecutor’s office in Vienna shall be responsible.
(3) If Austrian jurisdiction is based exclusively upon an intergovernmental agreement, the public prosecutor’s office shall examine the person concerned on the prerequisites for taking over the prosecution of a case.
CHAPTER TWO
Taking over Surveillance Operations
Prerequisites
§ 61. Upon request by another State, the surveillance of a person shall be admissible, who was convicted by a foreign court with final and enforceable effect, when imposing a punishment has been deferred on condition, or when a punishment or preventive measure was suspended on probation, or when the person was released on condition from a custodial sentence or a preventive measure involving deprivation of liberty, provided that
1. the decision of the foreign court was taken in proceedings that complied with the principles set forth in Article 6 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, Federal Law Gazette No. 210/1958,
2. the conviction was for an act that is subject to a court punishment under Austrian law,
3. the conviction was not for one of the punishable acts listed in § 14 and § 15,
4. the convicted person is not prosecuted for the act in Austria, was not exempted from prosecution for convicted or acquitted with final and enforceable effect or otherwise it in Austria,
5. the convicted person has his/her domicile or place of residence is Austria.
Part 1
General Provisions
2. The principle of cooperation
1. All organs of the Federal State, in particular the courts, public prosecutors, custodial authorities and security authorities, have an obligation to cooperate fully with the International Criminal Court.
2. The obligation in paragraph 1 above shall consist in particular, pursuant to this federal law and in accordance with the Statute and the Rules of Procedure and Evidence of the International Criminal Court, in granting the Court access to information and documents concerning suspected crimes falling within its jurisdiction, providing it with judicial assistance, surrendering accused persons, accepting sentenced persons for the enforcement of sentences, and enforcing fines and forfeitures.
Part 2
Specific provisions
Section 2
14. Judicial assistance and procedural provisions for the execution of requests
1. Judicial assistance shall be provided to the International Criminal Court in accordance with the legislation in force governing judicial assistance in criminal matters.
2. Requests from the International Criminal Court for compliance with certain formal provisions shall be executed when these are compatible with the principles of Austrian criminal procedure. Audio and video recording and transmission of the assistance process shall be permitted whenever sought by the International Criminal Court.
3. Members and investigators of the International Criminal Court and others involved in the proceedings and their legal representatives may be authorised, at the Court’s request, to be present at and participate in the assistance process. To this end, they shall be informed of the time and place of the execution of assistance activities.
4. A request from the International Criminal Court for criminal police investigations or information may also be executed without any referral to national courts via the Federal Ministry of the Interior pursuant to Austrian law.
15. Postponement of the execution of requests for assistance
1. The execution of a request for judicial assistance may be postponed:
(1) until there is a decision concerning a challenge of admissibility under articles 17 to 19 of the Statute, unless the International Criminal Court has expressly ordered that the Prosecutor may pursue the collection of evidence pursuant to article 18 or 19 of the Statute;
(2) for a time period agreed upon with the International Criminal Court if the immediate execution of the request would interfere with ongoing investigations or proceedings in a case other than the one to which it relates.
2. Any such postponement shall be decided upon by the Federal Minister of Justice.
3. Prior to any decision on postponement pursuant to paragraph 1(2) above, it shall be ascertained whether the requested assistance could be provided immediately under certain conditions. A request from the International Criminal Court for measures to secure evidence shall still have to be executed in the event of a postponement.
16. Summonses
1. The International Criminal Court shall be authorised to serve directly by post summonses and other documents on persons who are in the Republic of Austria. This shall not preclude service via the Federal Ministry of Justice.
2. The person summoned is not obliged to acquiesce to the summons. At the request of the person summoned, of the accused or of their counsel, the Federal Ministry of Justice shall obtain from the International Criminal Court the assurance that the person shall not be subject to prosecution, arrest or detention on account of an act engaged in prior to the person’s exit from the Republic of Austria.
3. At the request of the International Criminal Court, the Austrian court shall transfer an appropriate advance for travel costs to witnesses and experts summoned by the International Criminal Court who apply for it. Should the witness or expert fail to attend the trial at the International Criminal Court or otherwise fail to fulfil the obligations arising from the summons, such an advance shall be recovered.
17. Questioning of suspects
1. Persons questioned pursuant to a request from the International Criminal Court on suspicion of having committed a crime within its jurisdiction shall, prior thereto, be informed of the crime they are suspected of and of their right to:
(1) remain silent without having to fear that such silence will be taken into consideration in the determination of their guilt or innocence;
(2) be represented by the counsel of their choice, and, where they have no counsel, to be assigned counsel pursuant to paragraph 41(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure;
(3) be questioned in the presence of counsel, unless they waive this right expressly and voluntarily.
2. Such reference to their rights and the corresponding statement by the persons to be questioned shall be noted in the record. Where the conditions of paragraph 41(2) are fulfilled and the person demands to be questioned in the presence of counsel without any application for assignment of counsel, the procedure in paragraph 41(4) of the Code of Criminal Procedure shall apply.
18. Surrender of prisoners for the purposes of evidence
1. A person in custody in Austria, whether pending trial or serving a sentence, shall at the request of the International Criminal Court be surrendered thereto for the purposes of identification, questioning or comparison or other investigative processes according to conditions to be agreed upon, if the person consents to the surrender.
2. Should the person to be surrendered be in custody on the basis of a request from the International Criminal Court for the enforcement of a sentence pursuant to paragraph 33(1) below, his or her consent to the surrender is not required.
3. The surrender shall not suspend the time spent in custody, whether pending trial or serving a sentence.
19. Disclosure and transmission of information affecting national security
1. (Constitutional provision) At the request of the International Criminal Court, judicial assistance shall be provided through the transmission of objects, documents or photocopies or by granting access to records.
2. Should the documents relate to national security, and in particular to military information, the International Criminal Court shall be consulted to ascertain whether the information can be provided by another source or in another form.
3. If the matter cannot be settled through the consultations in paragraph 2 above, the Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs, with the consent of the competent federal minister, prior to granting access to records or to the transmission of photocopies, shall check whether the interests of confidentiality significantly outweigh the interests of providing evidence for an international prosecution. Should that be the case, the International Criminal Court shall be asked for assurance of the maintenance of confidentiality and for details as to how it will be maintained.
4. The Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs shall, with the consent of the competent federal minister, check whether the assurance given as to maintaining confidentiality is to be deemed sufficient. Access to records or the transmission of photocopies is to be refused where confidentiality cannot be ensured and if there are concerns that disclosure could prejudice national security.
5. Paragraphs 2 to 4 above shall also apply where a person who has been called upon to provide information or evidence refuses to do so on the grounds that disclosure would prejudice national security.
6. Prior to being questioned on the basis of a request for judicial assistance from the International Criminal Court, a person shall be informed of his/her right to refuse to 8
answer in order to prevent the disclosure of confidential information relating to national security. This shall be noted in the record. The admissibility of the request for judicial assistance in such cases shall be decided upon in the light of paragraphs 2 to 4 above.
20. Transmission of photocopies or information from third parties
Should the International Criminal Court seek judicial assistance such as the transmission of photocopies of documents or information which were given to Austria by another State or by an intergovernmental or international organisation subject to their confidentiality, such documents may only be transmitted to the International Criminal Court with their consent. The Court shall be informed of any refusal thereof.
21. Judicial assistance from the International Criminal Court
1. Should criminal proceedings arise before an Austrian court on account of an act constituting a crime within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court or any other serious crime under Austrian law, the Court may be asked for judicial assistance.
2. Requests shall be made in writing. The written request and supporting material shall be accompanied by certified translations in English or French.
3. Courts and public prosecutors shall submit requests addressed to the International Criminal Court to the Federal Ministry of Justice for onward transmission.
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.
1. La solicitud relativa a otras formas de asistencia a que se hace referencia en el artículo 93 deberá hacerse por escrito. En caso de urgencia, se podrá hacer por cualquier otro medio que permita dejar constancia escrita, a condición de que la solicitud sea confirmada en la forma indicada en el párrafo 1 (a) del artículo 87.
2. La solicitud deberá contener los siguientes elementos o estar acompañada de, según proceda:
(a) Una exposición concisa de su propósito y de la asistencia solicitada, incluidos los fundamentos jurídicos y los motivos de la solicitud;
(b) La información más detallada posible acerca del paradero o la identificación de la persona o el lugar objeto de la búsqueda o la identificación, de forma que se pueda prestar la asistencia solicitada;
(c) Una exposición concisa de los hechos esenciales que fundamentan la solicitud;
(d) Las razones y la indicación detallada de cualquier procedimiento que deba seguirse o requisito que deba cumplirse;
(e) Cualquier información que pueda ser necesaria conforme al derecho interno del Estado requerido para cumplir la solicitud; y
(f) Cualquier otra información pertinente para que pueda prestarse la asistencia solicitada.
3. A solicitud de la Corte, todo Estado Parte consultará con la Corte, en general o respecto de un asunto concreto, sobre las disposiciones de su derecho interno que puedan ser aplicables de conformidad con el párrafo 2 (e). En esas consultas, los Estados Partes comunicarán a la Corte las disposiciones específicas de su derecho interno.
4. Las disposiciones del presente artículo serán también aplicables, según proceda, con respecto a las solicitudes de asistencia hechas a la Corte.