Czech Republic: 15 women charged with supporting neo-Nazism

Pavel Hanták, spokesperson for the Organized Crime Detection Unit (Útvar pro odhalování organizovaného zločinu – ÚOOZ) in the Czech Republic, said today that detectives have charged 15 women with promoting and supporting the neo-Nazi movement “Resistance Women Unity” (RWU). Police say RWU is the women’s branch of National Resistance (Národní odpor – NO), an informal organization of Czech neo-Nazis. If convicted of the felony of promoting and supporting a movement aimed at suppressing human rights and freedoms, the women could face up to eight years in prison. None are in custody.

Detectives have charged the women, aged between 21 and 32, with having been involved since at least 2007 in organizing various events for neo-Nazi hangers-on, as well as for arranging the production and distribution of materials promoting the RWU. “The RWU is ideologically linked to a similar women’s organization that existed in Hitler’s Germany until 1945. Its ideological subtext is the racial exclusivity of Aryan women,” explained Hanták. The group’s aim is to contribute toward strengthening opposition to the current system, which RWU says is “targeted against the long-term survival of white families.” Detectives have been investigating the case since September 2009.

Hanták said the prosecution of the 15 women is related to the police raids conducted in 2009, which resulted in charges against 18 right-wing extremists. Some of those being prosecuted are said to have ties to the ultra-right militant organization White Justice, while others are suspected of planning a terrorist attack.

Michaela Dupová, who faces charges of promoting and supporting a movement aimed at suppressing human rights and freedoms, is linked to the RWU. She is alleged to have contributed to creating and running its website and posting articles there which reportedly disseminated and promoted Nazi and neo-Nazi ideology.