Czech court fines operator of White Media server for publishing hacked personal correspondence, but does not address hateful content due to US restrictions
The establisher and administrator of the White Media website, which Czech prosecutors charged with publishing thousands of personal documents or pieces of personal information about people in the Czech Republic, was fined CZK 200,000 [EUR 8,000] by the Municipal Court in Brno on 13 May 2025. The court told the injured parties, including former prime ministers Bohuslav Sobotka and Vladimír Špidl (both SOCDEM) to file civil suits for compensation.
Judge Pavel Horna did not accede to the prosecutor’s motion for a suspended prison sentence. He said such punishment made no sense given that the defendant, Igor Mižák, lives in Australia.
Mižák’s defense attorney said his client believes he is not guilty. The verdict has yet to take effect.
“The website was unequivocally managed by the defendant, who paid for its operation for several years. There is no doubt about his guilt,” Horna proclaimed.
Mižák made it possible for unidentified perpetrators to publish hacked data on the website. Horna said he considered the monetary punishment to be proportionate.
“As far as a suspended sentence goes, it would be highly difficult for the court to follow the behavior of the condemned in Australia, such a punishment would make no sense,” the judge said. In his indictment, prosecutor Jaroslav Paul first proposed a sentence of 15 months in prison, suspended for 30 months.
In his final motion, Paul proposed fining the defendant CZK 120,000 [EUR 4,800] and shortening the prison time. After the decision was handed down, Paul said he would not appeal.
“The monetary punishment is relatively high and strict. I agree with the judge that a conditional sentence in a situation where the accused is abroad has no real significance,” Paul said.
Those harmed by the website are Arabists, employees of Amnesty International, former politicians, and others who publicly speak out against racism, xenophobia, and sexual discrimination. In addition to the former prime ministers they include, for example, the philosopher and priest Tomáš Halík, the composer and singer Michael Kocáb, or former politician Kateřina Bursíková Jacques.
The hackers attacked between 40 and 50 people in the Czech Republic. Photographs of their personal correspondence from their e-mail accounts or copies of documents, their personal data, and telephone numbers subsequently appeared on the White Media website, which was registered in the USA.
Court did not review website’s hateful content against Roma and other minorities
Attacks motivated by bias are very serious and frequently ignored. Have you become the victim of a bias crime in the Czech Republic? Call the free phone line of the In IUSTITIA organization, 800 922 922, or contact the ROMEA, o.p.s. organization.
According to Veronika Barešová of the In IUSTITIA organization, which represented some of the injured parties, the hacking targeted Romani people and other persons active in combating racism. “Among the injured parties are several Romani people and also those who were involved in advocating for the rights of the Romani minority. The White Media website violated their privacy by publishing their personal information and, for instance, images of their e-mail correspondence,” she told ROMEA TV.
The publishing of sensitive information, according to Barešová, had serious impacts on the injured parties. “On the one hand their privacy was violated, but on the other hand, their personal information was also publicized, leading to concerns for their personal safety. These people feared for their physical security because the White Media website was of an ultra-right nature and was inciting hatred toward them. The victims feared they could be physically attacked,” the lawyer said.
In addition to publishing hacked personal information, White Media also published videos and writings with hateful content attacking immigrants, in particular those of African origin, Muslims, and Romani people, for instance. The website also published lists of persons who publicly took a stand against racism and xenophobia.
The investigation of the White Media case lasted several years due to problems with the international cooperation of the justice systems. Barešová noted that working with Australia and the United States was a significant complication.
“The attitude of the United States is the reason more people were not tried in this case. The American authorities said data acquired by their investigative bodies cannot be used in a hate speech proceeding, which fundamentally influenced the course of the investigation. Because of this, many perpetrators are unknown to us,” Barešová explained.
According to In IUSTITIA, this outcome points to the shortcomings in international cooperation in the field of cybercrime and protection for the victims of hateful campaigns on the Internet.
