Czech court fines and puts on probation the couple who waved a Nazi swastika during last year's celebration of the US liberation of Plzeň

The court issued a preliminary sentence through court order last year, but because the couple insisted on a trial, an open hearing was held on the case. The court has now sentenced both spouses to six months in prison with a 14-month probationary period and a fine of CZK 20,000 [EUR 800], payable in installments.

The verdict has yet to take effect and both the defense and the prosecution are considering whether to appeal. The couple could have been sentenced to as long as three years in prison.

The incident took place on Sunday, 5 May 2024 during the Convoy of Liberty, the key and most-attended event of the annual multi-day celebration of the liberation of Plzeň by the United States Army and of the end of the Second World War. While driving his historic US Army truck past the main stand where the families of veterans and VIP guests view the convoy, Friedberger unfurled a Nazi swastika flag for about two seconds, according to the indictment.

Friedberger showed the Nazi flag to the onlookers on his side of the car and then handed it to his wife, who stuck her hand with the flag out of her window and waved it on her side of the car for about two seconds. The prosecution also accused them of having the Nazi flag visibly placed behind the windshield of their car on the way to Plzeň the day before.

The Friedbergers defended themselves during the trial by claiming their waving of the Nazi flag had been an “unfortunate coincidence”. As fans of American military equipment and military history, they claimed to have participated in a commemoration event called “Hot September 1938” in Prachatice in the autumn of 2023 where Nazi flags were handed out to use during the reconstruction of those historical events.

The Friedbergers claim to have put the Nazi flag in their car and to have taken no further interest in it. The flag was still in the car when, at the start of May 2024, they set out in it for the celebrations in Plzeň.

A Dodge military vehicle like the one owned by the Friedbergers displaying a Nazi swastika behind the windshield was also spotted by people in the southern Plzeň region on the route the Friedbergers took that Saturday. When they were driving in the convoy in Plzeň on Sunday, they claimed a gust of wind blew into the cabin of the car and disarranged the stuff on the dashboard.

Friedberger claimed that he handed the disarranged papers to his wife so he could focus on driving. She claimed in court that she never even looked at what she was taking from him and kept waving her hand at the crowd without knowing what she was holding.

The couple also expressed regret over the incident. However, Judge Kateřina Kubiasová did not believe their explanation.

“It is clear from the camera footage that the driver first takes the [Nazi] flag in his hand, smooths it out, shows it to the woman and hands it over to her with some papers. She takes them with her left hand, transfers just the flag with the swastika to her right hand, extends her right hand out the window, waves, and then calmly and without a hint of panic takes the flag back into the vehicle. They look at each other and smile,” the judge described the event, which she said is clearly visible in the footage.

Everything took place in front of the terrace of the theater where politicians, veterans’ families and other important guests watch the parade and where there are also cameras that capture footage for the live broadcast of the convoy. Jana Komišová from the City of Plzeň, who has been coordinating the festivities for more than 20 years, testified in court that the incident marred the good reputation of the celebrations.

Because video of the Nazi flag-waving soon made its way onto social media, the festival organizers received a lot of negative reactions. “This whole incident was quite upsetting for the members of military clubs who consider participation in the convoy a matter of great prestige and the outrage from the entire community was extreme. We were put in the position of constantly apologizing. The veterans’ families were deeply affected, their family members were devastated by it even though they knew it was not our fault. We produced a very complex, expensive event, and the entire success of several days of programs and positive media coverage was then reduced to the fact that such negative symbols were being presented in Plzeň,” Komišová said.

“I would like to apologize, we decidedly did not want to harm the City of Plzeň,” Friedbergerová responded to the testimony of the official in court.