• Former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has been acquitted of false testimony.
• The court found that objective elements for false testimony were not met.
• Kurz maintains his innocence and expresses relief over the ruling.
• His former chief of staff's conviction for false testimony was upheld.
• Kurz is still under investigation for separate corruption-related allegations.

An Austrian appeals court overturned the conviction of former chancellor Sebastian Kurz for providing false testimony to a parliamentary inquiry. The Vienna Higher Regional Court ruled that the "objective elements of false testimony were not met," leading to the annulment of an eight-month suspended sentence given to Kurz earlier this year. The court cited that the evidence showed Kurz was not afforded sufficient time to fully explain his involvement in board appointments at the state holding company OBAG, according to India Times, Reuters, and Anadolu Agency.

During the appeal, Kurz expressed relief, stating, "I have always said I told the truth," and lamented the conviction of his former chief of staff, whose sentence for false testimony was upheld by the court. The judges found that the former chief of staff had indeed misled the inquiry regarding his acknowledgment of Kurz’s preferences for appointments, indicating that evidence corroborated his guilt. Meanwhile, Kurz's remarks highlighted his lengthy battle against accusations of wrongdoing, which he has consistently denied, according to India Times, Reuters, and Anadolu Agency.

Despite this acquittal, Kurz is still under investigation for separate allegations involving potential corruption related to the alleged misuse of public funds for political polling and favorable media coverage. The outcome of these investigations remains uncertain, and Kurz continues to assert his innocence regarding all charges, according to Reuters and Anadolu Agency.