VIENNA, June 20 (RIA Novosti) - An Austrian prosecutors' spokesman told RIA Novosti Wednesday Austria would immediately release the Russian spy suspect detained last week if Moscow refuses to strip him of his immunity.
"We are expecting an answer [to our query regarding the diplomatic immunity of the Russian official] later today or tomorrow morning," Gerhard Jarosch said over the telephone. "If Moscow decides to keep his status, the Russian Space Agency official will immediately be released."
The detained is a 51-year-old member of the Russian space cooperation team. The Russian Space Agency and the foreign ministry have not released his name, and he is identified by the local press as "Vladimir V." Military counterintelligence was also reported to have detained a junior officer serving with the Austrian Air Force, suspected of illegally transferring sensitive information.
