An
Austrian banking giant has closed down an account held by BDS Austria.
“Bank account of BDS Austria closed by bank as a
result of political pressure,” the organization wrote on its website and
Facebook page.
“We are therefore obliged to cancel the account and
until further notice will not have any bank account,” the statement
continued.
The
Erste Group, one of the biggest companies in Austria, did not immediately
respond to the Jerusalem Post’s request for comment.
Nonetheless,
the paper reports that it uncovered BDS Austria’s Erste Group account as part
of an investigation into the BDS movement’s funding.
In
March, Erste Group Spokesperson Christian Hromatka told the paper that the
bank’s “internal security measures are suitable to employ the appropriate
measures in the event of irregularities or legal problems.”
According
to the Jerusalem Post, this is the second known case of a bank account
associated with the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement in Europe has
been closed down due to increased efforts to put a stop to illegal transactions.
