Wiener Neustadt, Austria — April 24, 2026 The trial of Thomas Schellenbacher, a former politician with Austria’s far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ), opened on Thursday in Wiener Neustadt, where he faces charges of assisting the escape of Jan Marsalek, the disgraced former Wirecard executive who fled Europe in 2020.
Allegations of Organized Escape
Prosecutors allege that Schellenbacher played a key role in facilitating Marsalek’s flight from Austria to Belarus in June 2020. According to the indictment, Schellenbacher arranged for Marsalek to depart from Bad Vöslau airfield, a small airport south of Vienna, shortly after Wirecard removed Marsalek from his executive position on June 18, 2020.
The prosecution claims Schellenbacher acted on behalf of Martin Weiss, a former official at the Austrian Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counterterrorism. Weiss’s alleged involvement suggests potential connections between the escape and individuals within Austria’s security apparatus.
Marsalek’s Ties to Russian Intelligence
Authorities have long suspected that Marsalek, who remains at large, may have ties to Russian intelligence. The prosecution stated during opening arguments that Marsalek could be working for the FSB, Russia’s primary security agency. This allegation adds a geopolitical dimension to the case, which has already drawn international attention due to Wirecard’s collapse and Marsalek’s disappearance.