Austrian Lawmakers Win Defamation Case Against Der Standard

Three Austrian lawmakers from the far-right Freedom Party won a defamation case against Der Standard newspaper. The court ruled it was unclear if a funeral song was a Nazi hymn. They were awarded €20,250 in damages. Der Standard plans to appeal the decision.

In a notable legal victory, three Austrian lawmakers from the far-right Freedom Party clinched a defamation case against the newspaper Der Standard on Thursday. The legal battle centered around an article that accused them of attending a funeral where a Nazi song was purportedly sung. However, it remains indeterminate whether the song was of Nazi origin.

The article initially published by Der Standard included a video from the Vienna funeral of a 90-year-old right-wing fraternity member. The newspaper identified a song sung there as an SS hymn, although it noted the original version hailed from the 19th century. Despite the allegations, the Vienna criminal court on Thursday ruled that the song's audio quality was insufficient to determine which version was sung, awarding the plaintiffs €20,250 in damages.

The Freedom Party, known for its eurosceptic views and connections with Russia, was founded by a former SS officer. It claims to have severed ties with its Nazi past. Notably, Der Standard plans to appeal the ruling, maintaining the stance highlighted by its lawyer, despite the setback in this defamation ruling.

(With inputs from agencies.)