Former top official Peterlik: Wish me rehabilitation as an ambassador

A former senior official in Austria’s foreign ministry, Johannes Peterlik, has expressed his desire to be rehabilitated and appointed as a diplomat following his acquittal on charges of abuse of office and espionage. The verdict, delivered on April 22 by the Vienna Regional Court, became legally binding on July 16, 2026, after which he was cleared of all accusations. According to presiding judge Andrea Philipp-Stürzer, the court reached its decision based on conviction, stating that Peterlik had committed no criminal act in 2018. The case centers around Peterlik's request for a classified report from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) regarding the poisoning of Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, England, in 2018. The report included information about the nerve agent Novichok used in the attack. At the time, Peterlik served as the general secretary of the foreign ministry under the leadership of Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ). The prosecution, led by the Vienna Public Prosecutor's Office, argued in 2025 that there was no official need for Peterlik to request the document. They alleged that he had provided access to the information to former constitutional protection officer Egisto Ott, who later passed it on to former Wirecard board member Jan Marsalek. However, Peterlik maintained in court that he acted within his official duties and did not pass on the document to anyone else. He claimed he had only received the document related to the Skripal case and had not shared it with Ott, who had a different document concerning another Novichok incident in Amesbury, England. Despite the acquittal, Peterlik remains suspended from his position in the foreign ministry. He stated that it is now up to the Federal Disciplinary Authority to review his case in light of the court ruling. He expects the suspension to be lifted in the coming weeks. The suspension was initially imposed by then-Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg of the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) after the allegations surfaced in late 2021, leading to Peterlik being recalled from his ambassadorial post in Indonesia. Since then, he has been on administrative leave. The Federal Disciplinary Authority confirmed in October 2021 that the suspension would remain in place until the disciplinary process concludes. The outcome of this process is uncertain, as disciplinary law applies different standards compared to criminal law. A spokesperson for the foreign ministry noted that the suspension will remain valid until the disciplinary proceedings reach a final conclusion. Peterlik described the financial impact of his suspension, explaining that his salary was reduced by 33 percent during the suspension period. As a foreign ministry employee without transfer protection, he was reassigned to the basic pay grade in September 2021, resulting in a total reduction of 56 percent in his income. Despite these financial difficulties, Peterlik emphasized that he has incurred no debts and informed the investigating authorities from the beginning to assist in resolving the case quickly. After five years of investigations and legal costs, he has accumulated approximately €150,000 in debt.