• Expert Commissions

    In order to be able to fulfil its tasks as the Republic’s human rights body, the Austrian Ombudsman Board has set up one federal and six regional commissions.

    The expert commissions have unrestricted access to all institutions and receive all the information and documents required to exercise their mandate. They also have, for example, comprehensive access to the medical data of prisoners in police detention centres. The commissions can hold private conversations with people in detention or people with disabilities if they wish to do so.

    The commissions use the inspection focal points stipulated by the AOB as guidelines for their work, which bears a great deal of responsibility. They report directly to the AOB about their visits and inspections and carry out assessments of human rights infringements and recommendations on how to prevent these infringements. If the AOB comes to differing conclusions, the commissions are entitled to add appropriate comments to the Ombudsman Board reports.

    Each commission consists of a chairperson and members who are appointed by the AOB in line with international requirements on gender parity. The commissions are multiethnic and are composed of people from various disciplines. There are one federal and six regional commissions throughout Austria with about 60 part-time members.

  • Federal Commission for the enforcement of penalties and measures

    The Federal Commission for the enforcement of penalties and measures is responsible for monitoring penal and forensic institutions nationwide. The Commission is headed by Reinhard Klaushofer. The chart below gives you more information about the composition of the Commission.

    You can contact the Commission at bundeskommission@volksanwaltschaft.gv.at.

    Members of the Commission as from 1 July 2024:

     

    Reinhard Klaushofer chairperson
    David Altacher member
    Norbert Gerstberger member 
    Philipp Hamedl member
    Markus Möstl member  
    Christian Pawelka member
    Veronika Reidinger member
    Peter Spieler member  
    Renate Stelzig-Schöler member
  • Commission 1: Tyrol and Vorarlberg

    Commission 1 is responsible for monitoring institutions and facilities where people are or may be deprived of their liberty in Vorarlberg and the Tyrol. The Commission is headed by Verena Murschetz. The chart below gives you more information about the composition of the Commission.

    You can contact the Commission at kommission1@volksanwaltschaft.gv.at.

     Members of the Commission as from 1 July 2024:

     

    Verena Murschetz chairperson
    Regina Brassé member
    Michaela Brejla member
    Erwin Egger member
    Wolfgang Fromherz
    member
    Andrea Sigl member
    Martha Taschler
    member
    Thomas Thöny member
    Christine Thüminger member

     

  • Commission 2: Salzburg and Upper Austria

    Commission 2 is responsible for monitoring institutions and facilities where people are or may be deprived of their liberty in Salzburg and Upper Austria. The Commission is headed by Karin Gutiérrez-Lobos. The chart below gives you more information about the composition of the Commission.

    You can contact the Commission at kommission2@volksanwaltschaft.gv.at.

     Members of the Commission as from 1 July 2024:

     

    Karin Gutiérrez-Lobos chairperson
    Doris Brandmair member
    Christine Hutter member
    Esther Kirchberger member
    Robert Krammer member
    Brigitte Loderbauer member
    Margit Pollheimer-Pühringer member
    Florian Steger member
    Ulrike Weiß member

     

  • Commission 3: Styria and Carinthia

    Commission 3 is responsible for monitoring institutions and facilities where people are or may be deprived of their liberty in Styria and Carinthia. The Commission is headed by Reingard Riener-Hofer. The chart below gives you more information about the composition of the Commission.

    You can contact the Commission at kommission3@volksanwaltschaft.gv.at.

    Members of the Commission as from 1 July 2024:

      

    Reingard Riener-Hofer
    chairperson
    Julia Krenn
    member
    Anna-Maria Lindermuth member
    Brigitte Mauthner member
    Johann Pfeifer member
    Silvia Reibnegger member
    Claudia Schossleitner member
    Petra Tranacher-Rainer member
    Herbert Reiter member


     

  • Commission 4: Vienna

    Commission 4 is responsible for monitoring institutions and facilities where people are or may be deprived of their liberty in Vienna (districts 3 through 19, 23). The Commission is headed by Andrea Berzlanovich. The chart below gives you more information about the composition of the Commission.

    You can contact the Commission at kommission4@volksanwaltschaft.gv.at

     Members of the Commission as from 1 July 2024:

     

    Andrea Berzlanovich chairperson
    Bettina Caspar-Bures member
    Julia Egger member
    Christina Holmes member
    Chiara La Pedalina member
    Hannes Lutz member
    Christine Pramer member
    Matthias Unseld member
    Barbara Weibold member
  • Commission 5: Vienna and Lower Austria

    Commission 5 is responsible for monitoring institutions and facilities where people are or may be deprived of their liberty in Vienna (Districts 1, 2, 20 through 22) and Lower Austria (political districts Gänserndorf, Gmünd, Hollabrunn, Horn, Korneuburg, Krems, Mistelbach, Tulln, Waidhofen a.d. Thaya, Zwettl). The Commission is headed by Heinz Mayer. The chart below gives you more information about the composition of the Commission. 

    You can contact the Commission at kommission5@volksanwaltschaft.gv.at.

    Members of the Commission as from 1 July 2024: 

     

    Heinz Mayer
    chairperson
    Josef Baumgartner member
    Marlene Fetz
    member
    Gabriele Fink-Hopf member
    Caroline Kerschbaumer member
    Katharina Mares-Schrank
    member
    Erwin Meisl
    member
    Sabine Ruppert member
    Ralph Wakolbinger member
  • Commission 6: Burgenland and Lower Austria

    Commission 6 is responsible for monitoring institutions and facilities where people are or may be deprived of their liberty in Burgenland and Lower Austria (political districts Amstetten, Baden, Bruck a.d. Leitha, Lilienfeld, Melk, Mödling, Neunkirchen, Scheibbs, St. Pölten, Waidhofen a.d. Ybbs, Wiener Neustadt, environs of Vienna). From 1 July 2024, the Commission is headed by Karin Rowhani-Wimmer. The chart below gives you more information about the composition of the Commission.

    You can contact the Commission at kommission6@volksanwaltschaft.gv.at.

     Members of the Commission as from 1 July 2024:

     

    Karin Rowhani-Wimmer chairperson
    Süleyman Ceviz
    member
    Yvonne Glaser member
    Bettina-Iris Maderner
    member
    Cornelia Sarah Neuhauser member
    Marlies Neumüller member
    Martin Ortner member
    Nadia Soleman member
    Patrick Clemens Swoboda member