Czech courts have so far convicted nine people, most of whom received fines, for approving Russian aggression in Ukraine, the Supreme State Prosecutor’s Office announced on Wednesday.
In the Czech Republic, public statements endorsing Russia’s attack on Ukraine can be considered a criminal offence, Czech Prosecutor General Igor Stříž warned a few days after Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year.
Of the nine convictions, all but one resulted in conditional sentences or fines, Supreme State Prosecutor Igor Stříž told Právo. A nine-month prison sentence was handed down to a Czech activist who was sentenced for posting hateful statements about Ukrainians on social media.
Besides the nine convictions, 58 people have so far been charged for approving of Russia’s aggression, while criminal investigations have so far been launched in 90 cases.
If someone publicly expresses approval of Russia’s attack on Ukraine or supports its leader at protests or on social media, it could be considered a crime under certain conditions, said Stříž.
While endorsing someone to commit a crime can be punishable by up to one-year imprisonment, the crime of denying, questioning, approving or justifying genocide is punishable by six months to three years in prison.
Source: euractiv.com
