Arrest Of Austrian Official For

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 14713, 3 July 1948, Page 3

Arrest Of Austrian Official For

Espionage In Austria

Russians Refuse Any Explanation

Right Of Trial By. Own

Courts

Questions were asked in the House of Commons about the recent arrest by the Soviet authorities of Chief Inspector A. Marck. a senior official of the Austrian Ministry of the Interior.

Mr Mayhew. Parliamentary Under-secretary for Foreign Affairs, stated in reply, "Inspector' Marck has been concerned with a recent series of disappearances of civilians in Austria. According to mv information he was arrested by the Soviet on the afternoon of June 17. The Austrian authorities were not informed of his arrest and it was only in reply to an enquiry two davs later by the Austrian Chancellor that the Soviet Denuty Commissioner stated that Mr Marek had been arrested on a charge of organising espionage against the Soviet occupation* troops.

"At its meeting rn'Junc 25 the Allied Council considered a communication from the Austrian Government drawing attention to th" alarm caused in Austria, bv Mr Marek's arrest asking how it was possible for Austrians to be charged with esoionage on Austrian territory. The Austrian Government requested "that Mr Marek should be released and that in future Austrian citizens should be tried in Austrian courts.

*ln commenting on'thi> communication the British High Commissioner observed that, one of the primary tasks of the Allied Commission for Austria was to assist the Austrian Government to recreate sound democralic conditions of life based en respect for law and order and said that the control agreement, provided that the Allied Commission should act through the appropriate authorities.

"He considered that or not the charges against Mr Marek were well founded the Austrian Government should have been requested to held the investigation. "He therefore proposed that the Allied Commission should pass a resolution deploring the exercise of irregular coercive men sures by agents of the occupying power against the inhabitants of Austria, that except when necessary to prevent a breach of the pence, an official should only be arrested bv the Austrian authorities ;md helH jn Austrian custody, and that Mr Marek should be released or delivered to Austrian custody pending trial. "This statement was strongly supported by the American and French High Commissioners. The Soviet representative, however, declined to discuss the matter, and said that further information about Mr Marek's case would be forthcoming in due course."

Mr Mayhew explained the legal oosition in the matter of arrest of members of the Austrian civil service by any of the occuoation authorities. He said, "By the terms of the Control Agreement, the High Commissioners of each occupying power may act at their own discretion for the protection and security of their forces in Austria. By a decision of the Executive Committee published on March 19, the Austrian Government, must be no®fied as soon as possible of the arrest of any Austrian citizens by an occupying power."

Mr Mawhew added. "The British High Commissioner and his Western colleagues have endeavoured to secure the Soviet High Commissioner's agreement to co-operate fully with the Austrian Government in these cases. A unanimous resolution providing for such cooperation where civil servants were involved was in fact approved by the- Allied Council in September 1946. The Soviet authorities have not, however, carried out this agreement in the spirit, intended."