Part 1
General Provisions

2. The principle of cooperation
1. All organs of the Federal State, in particular the courts, public prosecutors, custodial authorities and security authorities, have an obligation to cooperate fully with the International Criminal Court.
2. The obligation in paragraph 1 above shall consist in particular, pursuant to this federal law and in accordance with the Statute and the Rules of Procedure and Evidence of the International Criminal Court, in granting the Court access to information and documents concerning suspected crimes falling within its jurisdiction, providing it with judicial assistance, surrendering accused persons, accepting sentenced persons for the enforcement of sentences, and enforcing fines and forfeitures.

Part 1
General Provisions

7. Surrender of Austrian nationals
(Constitutional provision) Nothing precludes the surrender of Austrian nationals to the International Criminal Court (paragraphs 24 to 28 below) or their transit or transport (paragraph 31 below) or surrender to another State for the enforcement of a sentence passed by the International Criminal Court.

Section 4
Custody pending surrender, surrender and transit

23. Offer of surrender

1. Provided there are sufficient grounds to suspect a person thought to be in Austria of a crime within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, and the conditions in paragraph 5(2) above do not apply, after the person has been questioned by the investigating judge, the public prosecutor shall apply to the judge for a report outlining the facts of the case to be submitted to the Federal Ministry of Justice.
2. The Federal Ministry of Justice shall enquire whether the International Criminal Court requires the person to be surrendered. If the accused person is in custody, an appropriate deadline will be set for receipt of the request for surrender. Should the latter not arrive in time, the investigating judge should be informed promptly thereof. 9
3. The above is without prejudice to the provisions concerning the offer of surrender to the State in which the crime was committed pursuant to paragraph 28(1) of the law on extradition and judicial assistance (ARHG).

24. Provisional custody pending surrender

1. In the event of a request from the International Criminal Court for provisional arrest, on application by the public prosecutor, the investigating judge shall order the arrest of the person sought and order provisional custody pending surrender if, on the basis of the facts of the case as reported by the International Criminal Court, there are sufficient grounds to believe that the person to be found in Austria committed a crime within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court which would warrant pre-trial custody (paragraph 180 of the Code of Criminal Procedure) had the crime been committed in Austria.
2. Provisional custody pending surrender may not be ordered or continued when the purposes of custody can be achieved through concurrent imprisonment, pre-trial custody or custody pending extradition. In such a case the investigating judge shall order any amendments to the custodial order which, for the purposes of provisional custody pending surrender, are essential to the International Criminal Court. In other respects provisional custody pending surrender shall be subject to the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure governing pre-trial custody.
3. Provisional custody pending surrender may be suspended if the request for surrender and the supporting material are not transmitted within 60 days of the arrest. Release does not preclude renewed arrest and surrender should the request for surrender and the supporting material be transmitted at a later time.
4. The investigating judge shall promptly transmit copies of the orders for the imposition, extension or suspension of provisional custody pending surrender for the purpose of informing the International Criminal Court through the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) and the Federal Ministry of Justice.

25. Simplified surrender

1. Should a person being held in provisional custody pending surrender on the basis of a request from the International Criminal Court pursuant to paragraph 24(1) above agree to surrender to the International Criminal Court before the end of the time period in paragraph 24(3), the investigating judge shall order the person’s surrender, without prejudice to a challenge of admissibility pursuant to paragraph 5(2) above. In such cases the person shall be surrendered to the International Criminal Court as soon as possible.
2. The investigating judge shall inform the person that his or her consent cannot be revoked. The judge’s instruction shall be noted in the record.
3. In the event of simplified surrender, there is no need for the International Criminal Court to send a request for surrender and supporting material.

26. Custody pending surrender and orders for surrender

1. In the event of a request from the International Criminal Court for the arrest and surrender of an accused person, on application by the public prosecutor, the investigating judge shall initiate the surrender procedure and order the arrest of the accused person, his or her custody pending surrender and, in accordance with the following paragraphs, his or her surrender to the International Criminal Court. The investigating judge shall not have competence to consider the allegations giving rise to the arrest warrant or the grounds therefor. 10
2. Should there be significant doubts as to the identity of the person arrested, the investigating judge shall order appropriate investigations or ask the International Criminal Court to submit additional information. In any event, the investigating judge shall inform the accused person of the grounds of the warrant of arrest issued against him or her by the International Criminal Court and about his or her rights to challenge the surrender on account of a violation of the principle of “ne bis in idem” in article 20 of the Statute or of a lack of jurisdiction on the part of the International Criminal Court pursuant to articles 17 to 19 of the Statute. In addition, the person shall be informed of his or her right, pending a surrender order, to apply for interim release. The accused person shall be provided with copies (photocopies) of the arrest warrant or of the relevant allegations and provisions of the Statute together with the translations of them provided by the International Criminal Court.
3. Should the accused person wish to challenge the surrender on account of a violation of article 20 of the Statute or a lack of jurisdiction on the part of the International Criminal Court, the International Criminal Court shall be informed thereof and be provided with the requisite documents. Concurrently, the Court shall be notified of whether the challenge has a suspensive effect.
4. The decision on surrender shall be deferred only in the event of a challenge of admissibility pursuant to paragraph 5(2) above until a decision by the International Criminal Court has been taken. In the event of a challenge to the jurisdiction of the Court pursuant to articles 17 to 19 of the Statute by a third country, the procedure in paragraph 28 below shall apply.
5. Until surrender is ordered, the accused person has the right to apply for interim release. When deciding on such an application it shall be ascertained whether there are urgent and exceptional circumstances which justify interim release and whether the purpose of detention may be achieved by more lenient means (paragraph 180(5) of the Code of Criminal Procedure) regardless of the gravity of the alleged crimes. Such an application shall have no suspensive effect.
6. An application pursuant to paragraph 5 shall be notified to the International Criminal Court indicating that it has the right to submit a recommendation within seven days. The recommendation shall be taken into consideration in the decision on the application for release.
7. Should the International Criminal Court in its recommendation or the public prosecutor plead against the release of the accused person, the investigating judge shall promptly decide on the application in a custody hearing.
8. A decision dismissing the application for interim release by the accused person may be appealed against by the latter within three days before the relevant appeals court. Such an appeal shall have no suspensive effect.
9. Orders into custody pending surrender and orders for surrender may be appealed against solely pursuant to paragraph 1 of the Constitutional Appeals Law (Austrian Federal Law Gazette 864/1992). The order initiating the surrender process is not open to appeal.

27. Transfer to the International Criminal Court

1. Once the order for surrender to the International Criminal Court is enforceable, the investigating judge shall instruct the custodial authorities to promptly transfer the person to be surrendered to the International Criminal Court. Unless there are serious security concerns or the International Criminal Court seeks another form of delivery, the person to be surrendered shall be conveyed by air under the escort of Austrian officials. 11
2. The time of surrender shall be agreed with the International Criminal Court. Should circumstances prevent the transfer of the person to be surrendered, a new time will be agreed for the surrender.
3. The investigating judge shall submit a copy of the order for surrender to the Federal Ministry of Justice for onward transmission to the International Criminal Court.

28. Provisional transfer and repeal of the order for surrender

1. In the event of criminal proceedings against the accused person in Austria or if the latter is serving a sentence in Austria for matters other than those for which surrender to the International Criminal Court was ordered, the person may be transferred provisionally to the International Criminal Court under conditions to be agreed on with it.
2. The investigating judge shall promptly suspend custody pending surrender and repeal the order for surrender if:

(1) the International Criminal Court so requests or otherwise revokes its request for surrender;

(2) it is ascertained that in all likelihood the person arrested is not the person sought; or

(3) the International Criminal Court determines its lack of jurisdiction or the inadmissibility of the proceedings before it.