Alleged mastermind of "Ibiza Gate" video to be extradited to Austria

The alleged orderer of the scandalous video from the island of Ibiza, the publication of which in 2019 provoked the collapse of the coalition government in Austria, can be extradited to Austria. Der Spiegel reported this on Tuesday, citing a ruling by Germany's Federal Constitutional Court. According to Der Spiegel, the court in Karlsruhe rejected the man's appeal against his expulsion from Germany.

According to the court decision, as Der Spiegel writes, the plaintiff was unable to "justify the fact that he may be subjected to political persecution in the Republic of Austria and that there will not be a fair trial in the case there." Exactly when the man will leave German territory was not specified. A domestic political scandal called "Ibizagate" erupted in Austria in May 2019. German publications Der Spiegel and Süddeutsche Zeitung circulated a small snippet of video footage made in 2017 by realtor Irene Markovic of Lifestyle Properties, leader of the Austrian Freedom Party (APS) Heinz-Christian Strache and Austrian Vice Chancellor his aide Johann Goodenus.

The hidden camera footage shows the two men discussing with a Russian woman, who claims to be the niece of a Russian oligarch, the possibility of giving her better access to construction contracts in Austria in exchange for financial support for the APS before the parliamentary elections.

The publication of the video led to Strache's resignation as leader of the APS and Austrian Vice Chancellor, which he became after the 2017 elections. His party withdrew from the government coalition with the Austrian People's Party. The cabinet, led by Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, resigned after a vote of no confidence from parliament. This led to early parliamentary elections last September.
On December 11, 2020, German law enforcement authorities detained the alleged organizer of the scandalous video in Berlin's Pankow administrative district. It is noted that the man was wanted for more than a year. The detainee is accused of illegal creation of sound and video recordings and drug trafficking (cocaine).