Austria: 3 arrested over video that brought down government

BERLIN – Austrian prosecutors say three people have been arrested in connection with a video that triggered the collapse of the government earlier this year.

Prosecutor Thomas Vecsey said Wednesday that authorities made the arrests and searched properties Tuesday, but declined to provide further details.

The video obtained by German media showed then-vice chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache appearing to offer favours to a purported Russian investor in return for her supporting his far-right Freedom Party.

It was allegedly recorded on the Spanish island of Ibiza shortly before Austria’s 2017 election.

Austrian media have reported that a private investigator involved in producing the video attempted to blackmail Strache.

Austria’s former chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, who called early elections after the video’s release, is in talks with the centre-left Greens to form a new government.