Czech teacher to face trial for justifying Russian army's actions in Ukraine
Illustrative photo (Photo: Getty Images)
The appellate court in Czechia overturned the acquittal of teacher Martinou Bednářovou, who had questioned Russia's military actions in Ukraine during her lessons, according to České noviny.
The appellate court in Czechia has overturned the acquittal of teacher Martinou Bednářovou, who had questioned Russia's military actions in Ukraine during her lessons. The case has been sent back for further discussion and to verify if the Czech woman had indeed committed the crime of denying genocide. Initially, she was acquitted by the first instance court.
The Chair of the Senate of the Prague Municipal Court, Hana Chaloupková, stated that the initial court might not have considered all aspects of the case. She reminded that according to European judicial practice, stricter standards regarding freedom of speech and its limitations could be applied to teachers.\
What the teacher said
Martinou Bednářovou discussed Russia and Ukraine in her civics class in early April 2022, shortly after the start of the Russian invasion. She attempted to justify the war crimes against the world, saying that it was a forgiving way to deal with the situation on the part of the Russians. She also told the students that nothing was happening in Kyiv.
When they disputed her claims about seeing the burning city on Czech television news, she told them that the "public television was biased." She also spread false claims that the Ukrainian military had been systematically killing Russians since 2014. Some students challenged her and recorded her statements.
The first instance court acquitted her
The first instance court acquitted her, stating that she should not be tried for expressing her opinion, emphasizing her constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech, which outweighed the fact that the accused had used improper methods to influence her students.
However, the appellate panel believes that the district court will have to take into account that the defendant acted as an elementary school teacher and made statements on a mandatory subject that the students could not leave.
Courts in Czechia regarding individuals who support Russia
In recent times, the Czech courts have also dealt with cases involving individuals who support Russia, such as the honorary consul of the Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) Nely Liskova, as well as a man, Alois Polak, who was sentenced to 21 years in prison for participating in the war against Ukraine on the side of the DNR militants. In June, a Czech resident attempted to remove the Ukrainian flag from a local museum. He was given a suspended sentence and ordered to leave Prague for a year.
