Austria expels four Russian diplomats over suspected espionage
Austria has declared four Russian diplomats persona non grata over suspected espionage, ordering them to leave the country, Austrian newspaper Heute reported on October 23, citing the Foreign Ministry.
The decision followed findings by Austrian security authorities suggesting that the diplomats had engaged in activities incompatible with their diplomatic status.
Three of those expelled worked at the Russian Embassy in Vienna. The fourth was a member of Russia's delegation on military security and arms control to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which is headquartered in Vienna.
All four were declared persona non grata under Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
Austria's Foreign Ministry did not specify what activities the diplomats were suspected of carrying out or disclose details of the intelligence gathered by its security services.
The move follows the expulsion of Russian diplomats from Austria earlier this year, adding to diplomatic tensions between Vienna and Moscow.
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