Attacks on the FPÖ right-wing extremism dossier are in vain
Vienna (OTS) – SOS Mitmensch sharply criticizes the FPÖ’s reaction to the publication of a dossier with over 200 right-wing extremist connections to the party. According to the human rights organization, the FPÖ is trying to distract from the party’s proven deep roots in right-wing extremist scenes with false claims and the defense of the right-wing extremist “identitarians”.
“The way in which the FPÖ attacks the right-wing extremism dossier unfortunately confirms the party’s worrying process of radicalization. FPÖ General Secretary Hafenecker, who is a central liaison to right-wing extremist scenes in his party, does not shy away from using blatantly false claims to stir up opinion against the factual dossier,” said Alexander Pollak, spokesman for SOS Mitmensch.
In a video statement on Facebook, Hafenecker defends the “identitarian” groups classified as right-wing extremist by the Austrian and German Office for the Protection of the Constitution against “dirty accusations from Mr. Pollak” and he claims that SOS Mitmensch’s dossier on the FPÖ’s right-wing extremist connections only consists of “copied together press releases.” . This is demonstrably false, emphasizes SOS Mitmensch, and the dossier meticulously documents more than 200 right-wing extremism facts and incidents. Some of these facts and incidents also concern Hafenecker himself, such as his appearance with Götz Kubitschek, who is classified as right-wing extremist by the German Office for the Protection of the Constitution, or several appearances by the FPÖ Secretary General in media channels classified as right-wing extremist, or his defense of the right-wing extremist secret meeting in Potsdam as well as his Membership in a German national fraternity that belongs to the right-wing extremist “Burschenschaftlichegemeinschaft”. In addition, Hafenecker made demonstrably false claims in his video statement that there are no right-wing extremist fraternities and that the right-wing extremism chapter of the Austrian Office for the Protection of the Constitution has been outsourced to the documentation archive of the Austrian resistance, reports SOS Mitmensch. But the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, in addition to the “Identitarians”, also classifies “German national fraternities” as right-wing extremist, and the outsourcing of the right-wing extremism chapter claimed by Hafenecker does not exist, SOS Mitmensch makes clear. Only next autumn will there be a separate right-wing extremism report from the documentation archive of the Austrian resistance for the first time.
“The attacks on the FPÖ right-wing extremism dossier from SOS Mitmensch are in vain. “But anyone who makes false claims and defends the right-wing extremist “identitarians” just to distract from their own right-wing extremist connections shows a lack of maturity for democracy,” Pollak criticizes both Hafenecker and FPÖ party leader Kickl, who shared his general secretary’s false claims on Facebook .
Questions & Contact:
SOS Mitmensch, Zollergasse 15/2, 1070 Vienna
Alexander Pollak
0664 512 09 25
apo@sosmitmensch.at
www.sosmitmensch.at