Czech fan of ultra-nationalist party gets suspended sentence for wearing Nazi symbols to demonstration

A fan of the “Freedom and Direct Democracy-Tomio Okamura” (SPD) movement in the Czech Republic has been given six months in prison, conditionally suspended for two years, by the District Court in Prague 1 for displaying sympathy for a movement aimed at suppressing civil and human rights. In April this year the woman wore multiple pendants of the Nazi swastika to a demonstration convened by the SPD.

Pavla Hájková, spokesperson for the District Court for Prague 1, informed Czech Television of the news on 16 November. The verdict has taken effect.

“An indictment was filed on 9 October in this matter for felony display of sympathy for a movement aiming to suppress human rights,” Jan Lelek, head of the District State Prosecutor Office for Prague 1, which supervised the case, told Czech Television. The court handed down its ruling the next day without convening a hearing.

“It was decided as follows: a prison sentence of six months, suspended for a probationary period of two years,” Hájková told Czech Television, adding that the court’s decision had already taken effect. The defendant did not appeal.

The SPD convened the demonstration on Prague’s Wenceslas Square against what it called the “dictatorship of the European Union” on 25 April to launch its campaign for the European Parliamentary elections. In addition to an appearance at the demonstration by the chair of the movement, Czech MP Tomio Okamura, appearances were made by Marine Le Pen of France and Geert Wilders of the Netherlands, both of whom head ultra-right political parties in their respective countries.

CCTV cameras captured the woman wearing the chains with the Nazi swastikas at the demonstration. They also captured 43-year-old Radek Mansfeld giving the Nazi salute – he has already been given a suspended sentence of six months in prison and fined CZK 30 000 [EUR 1 177].