Austria Issues New Police Decree for Memorials

The Austrian Ministry of the Interior has issued a decree to regulate police conduct at memorial sites following a Peršmanhof operation.

The Austrian Ministry of the Interior issued a decree requiring police to consider historical events during proportionality assessments at memorial sites. This follows a July 27, 2025, operation at Peršmanhof, a museum honoring Slovenian partisan resistance where Nazis massacred eleven civilians in 1945. An analysis commission found the operation, involving the SIG and a helicopter over tent violations, lacked coordination and authorized arrests. The new decree mandates legal clarification before operations, transparent documentation, and prioritized de-escalating communication. The Directorate General for Public Security will provide training, including linguistic competence for bilingual areas. Currently, nine of thirteen commission recommendations are fully implemented, with a final report due in October 2026.