Mercenary who fought for separatists in Donbas on trial in Czech Republic
The Czech police have brought the first charges against a Czech citizen for participating in the fight for the Donbas on the side of the pro-Russian separatists.
As reported by the local media, the former Czech soldier “participated in the preparation of terrorist attacks on the Donbas”. The court is currently considering the case which has been placed under an “information embargo”.
This is the first time that Czech prosecution authorities have begun considered a case with charges against a Czech citizen for fighting for separatists in Ukrainian territory.
As Yevgen Perebyinis, Ukrainian ambassador to Czech republic, pointed out in an interview for Radio Svoboda, the diplomatic mission is aware that Czechs have participated in military action in the Donbas on the side of the pro-Russian militants.
“The Ukrainian law enforcement authorities are maintaining close contact with the Czech law enforcement authorities, exchanging information in this regard. This is naturally the Czech Republic’s business, to implement its own legislation, and so we cannot interfere with this. But in instances when the Czech law enforcement authorities need legal aid or any other information from Ukraine, we definitely provide them with this. And we welcome all measures, whether this concerns the Czech Republic or other states, which would lead to the prosecution and punishment of people who have participated in terrorist acts for the groups operating in the Donbas,” Perebinis said.
According to Pawlo Bužgy, representative of the regional prosecutor’s office of the city of Hradec Králové where the case is being considered, it is hard to predict what the court’s decision will be.
“I can confirm that the regional court is working on this, although with respect to a decision, an information embargo has been placed on this case. This means that most information concerning this case, its duration, the course of investigation and the legal status will not be provided until the lifting of the embargo. That means that now, unfortunately, I cannot give more details on this case,” he said.
The representative of the Czech prosecutor’s office also pointed out that it is not yet possible to say when a verdict will be given. The court proceedings could last for several months.