Brno, Czech Republic: Fascist party nominates Ukrainian to local Committee on National Minorities who calls his fellow Ukrainians "economic migrants"

Local assembly member Matěj Hollan (Žít Brno – Live Brno), who is in opposition, pointed out during a local assembly session last week that before Russia’s full-fledged invasion of Ukraine last year, Beznosik claimed that 80 % of Ukrainians fleeing the war are “economic migrants”; Hollan also believes Beznosik is involved in a quasi-legal enterprise. Beznosik did not attend that session, but ČTK reports that he stands by his claims.

“Commitee members know that the city leadership has instructed that the information presented during the assembly session about Mr. Beznosik be verified. We did not go into the situation in depth. As chair, I can’t influence who will sit on the committee. If the local assembly wants Mr. Beznosik there, I will do my best to work with him,” said committee chair Břetislav Štefan (SOCDEM).

Beznosik has replaced Jasna Flamiková (Greens – Zelení), who resigned. Both the Greens and Live Brno presumed her nominee would replace her.

Flamiková’s nominee was an expert on Romani issues, the lawyer Kristýna Rytířová Fuchsová. “It was rather surprising to us when the ‘Freedom and Direct Democracy’ (SPD) movement proposed their own nominee for this position to the mayor with many amused winks and smiles. Oleg Beznosik sounds like a Russian name. His name was just announced, nothing more was said about him, and we were supposed to vote,” Hollan said.

Hollan has been criticizing Beznosik for saying to news server magazin.cz that most Ukrainians fleeing the war are “economic migrants” whose main purpose for coming to the European Union is the opportunity to join its welfare system. Hollan also claims that Beznozik is involved in a quasi-legal enterprise, allegedly offering to arrange fictional permanent residence addresses for people to be able to apply for welfare or avoid collections proceedings against them.

Beznosik is standing by his statements about refugees from Ukraine. “I am of Ukrainian origin, so I know this situation quite well. I told the truth,” he said.

The new committee member rejects the allegations that he has ever had a problem with paying his taxes. “I’ve always had everything in order, which the relevant authorities can confirm. The level of dirt to which our desperate political competitors will stoop is actually shocking,” he said.

Beznosik said he had not been informed about City Hall investigating him. The Ukrainian Initiative of South Moravia is not satisfied with him as the new committee member either, as it turns out.

Ilnara Dudashová, chair of the initiative, said she is unaware of Beznosik having ever done any work for the Ukrainian community. “His election to the committee disturbs us when I take what he said about refugees from Ukraine into consideration. I think he does not have a lot of knowledge about the composition of this community. I do move in those circles and I know those coming to us are mostly mothers with children,” she said.