In the Czech Republic, 384 criminal cases were opened due to public support of Russiaʼs war against Ukraine.
This was stated by the press secretary of the police, Ondrej Moravczyk, reports irozhlas.cz.
“384 cases is all we have come across. Some of them then went to the stage of bringing charges against a specific person — thatʼs 99 cases. We also take into account those that have already been completed," he said.
Moravchyk clarified that 121 cases "relate to the approval and other forms of promotion of terrorist movements or organizations."
According to the chief prosecutor of the Czech Republic, Igor Stříž, these cases can be considered under two articles — 365 and 405. These are sections of the Criminal Code, which deal with "approval of a crime" and "denial, doubt, approval and justification of genocide."
"If someone publicly, in particular at demonstrations, on the Internet or social networks, approves the attack of the Russian Federation on Ukraine, or in this context expresses support or praises the leaders of the Russian Federation, under certain conditions this may threaten criminal responsibility," said Stříž.
The police are also monitoring alleged crimes related to the Israel-Hamas war. So far, law enforcement officers have registered 14 "cases of extremism with an anti-Semitic context."
- At the beginning of September, a court in Prague convicted the Czech mercenary Alois Polak, who fought in Ukraine on the side of Russia. According to the investigation, a Czech sniper killed at least four Ukrainian soldiers. The prosecutor asked for 25 years behind bars. The defense attorney appealed the verdict, noting that his client had probably already died.