The Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament (PSP) Tomio Okamura considers his prosecution in the case of pre-election posters to be a politically motivated case. He emphasized that he does not see anything illegal in the posters and will not retract his views. He announced this on Tuesday after the meeting of the Mandate and Immunity Committee of the PSP, which will decide whether to recommend to the House of Representatives that Okamura and also Prime Minister Andrej Babiš be extradited for criminal prosecution.
- Tomio Okamura claims that his prosecution is politically motivated.
- According to Okamura, there is nothing illegal about the posters.
- The Mandate and Immunity Committee decides on the extradition of Okamur and Babiš.
- Babiš’s case is related to subsidies for Farm Čapí hnízdo.
- The committee will decide on the recommendation at its next meeting on February 3.
Attitude to prosecution
“I am facing three years in prison for my political opinion based on the activity of the previous government. It is still true that I do not see anything illegal on the posters,” Okamura declared. According to him, the SPD is only drawing attention to the risks of uncontrolled migration and does not want the state to pay benefits to families who do not send their children to school. “I see the prosecution as politically motivated when the authorities are based on reports from the time of ex-minister (Vít) Raushan. I will not retract my views on the danger of illegal migration and the abuse of social benefits,” added the head of the chamber.
When asked whether he would allow himself to be prosecuted, he replied that he would leave the decision to the members of the committee. He added that he will fight for freedom of speech. “Under our government, people will not be closed for opinions, under our new government, people will not be afraid to speak. We want freedom and democracy,” he pointed out. According to him, the committee’s deliberations were factual, including the questions of opposition MPs.
Extradition negotiations
First of all, he stated that he is not convinced whether the Czech courts decide independently. Later, when asked if he questioned the independence of the Czech judiciary, he angrily replied that when someone disagrees with the functioning of the courts, it does not mean that he questions their independence. Apparently, it only points out that court proceedings in the Czech Republic are inadequately long and that some reform is needed.
Prime Minister Babiš also personally attended the committee’s meeting, but he did not give any statement to journalists. The courts requested the extradition of both politicians for criminal prosecution. Babiš’s case concerns subsidies for Farm Čapí hnízdo. The municipal court in Prague acquitted him twice, but the court of appeals overturned the sentence twice. If the deputies extradite Babiš, the case would be returned to the court of first instance. The appellant obliged him to follow his verdict at the next hearing, according to which both Babiš and his former colleague Jana Nagyová are guilty.
The committee adjourned the meeting on Tuesday and will decide on the recommendation whether the House of Representatives should extradite the politicians for prosecution at the next meeting on February 3.
