Austria’s former Chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, has successfully appealed his 2024 perjury conviction, which had previously resulted in an eight-month suspended prison sentence. The court’s decision on Monday annulled the earlier judgment, stating that Kurz’s testimony to a parliamentary committee did not constitute false evidence.
The original case centered on allegations that Kurz had misrepresented his involvement in the selection process for executives at a newly established state holding company during his tenure as chancellor. In 2020, Kurz had testified that he was “involved in the sense of informed,” but the initial court found this statement to be false. However, the appellate court concluded that the objective offense of giving false evidence had not been fulfilled.
Following the acquittal, Kurz expressed relief, stating that the years of accusations against him had “now all collapsed.” He has consistently denied any wrongdoing related to the corruption allegations for which he remains under investigation. Prosecutors have yet to decide whether to press charges concerning claims that Kurz used public funds to secure favorable media coverage and commissioned polls that exaggerated his political support.
Since resigning from politics in 2021, Kurz has been involved in various business ventures, including co-founding Dream, a cybersecurity company, in 2023. Despite the legal victory, Kurz has not publicly indicated any intention to return to active politics.
