AUSTRIA: New report documents widespread crackdown on Palestine solidarity

Amnesty International Austria has published a new report revealing a crackdown on the rights of people expressing solidarity with Palestine. The report, covering the period from October 2023 to October 2025, documents how civil society movements, organisations and individuals advocating for the human rights of Palestinians have been met with harassment and accusations of antisemitism, resulting in self-censorship and a chilling effect on civic engagement. The report documents severe restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and the instrumentalisation of antisemitism for political purposes.

According to the report, Austrian authorities have unlawfully banned Palestine solidarity events, protests, gatherings, and slogans. CSOs told the researchers they feared losing state funding when speaking out against human rights violations committed by Israel against Palestinians because they might be labelled antisemitic. The report states that the most affected group has been the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which has been criminalised, classified as antisemitic, and smeared. It cites increasing anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian racism as one of the reasons for these restrictions on civic freedoms in Austria.

The report calls on the government of Austria to ensure that any definition of antisemitism is aligned with international human rights standards and to remove restrictions on the work of civil society defending the rights of Palestinians and protect them from stigmatisation.