League of Human Rights condemns illegal police intervention against CzechTek and calls for the immediate resignation of Interior Minister Bublan


On the basis of information from news reports and participants in the event at Mlýnec pod Přimdou in Western Bohemia, the League of Human Rights must express its condemnation of the brutal police intervention there.

The police have encroached upon rights guaranteed to all by the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Basic Freedoms (1) in a manner which is completely unacceptable for a democratic state :

1. Without any legal justification, the police restricted the freedom of movement of persons who were peacefully in transit on the public roads.

2. The police as an agent of public authority illegally and brutally infringed upon the private contract between the lessor of the property and the organizers of the dance party. By so doing, the police made it impossible for the purpose of the lease to be achieved and thereby caused damages to both contractual parties.

3. By erecting an illegal barrier to the lawfully leased property, the police artificially escalated the situation. This resulted in conflict which could otherwise have been avoided.

4. The police used completely inappropriate methods, given the situation, and during the intervention injured several dozen people.

In contrast to the organizers of the event, who leased the property in good faith as a result of last year’s problems, thereby demonstrating their desire to meet the legal requirements, the police decided to place themselves above the law for reasons which are neither understandable nor acceptable. Under the rule of law the police may not presume that participants of a private event are going to behave illegally.

"The League of Human Rights calls upon Interior Minister František Bublan to recognize his responsibility for the completely inappropriate and illegal intervention committed by the police and to immediately resign.

The League further demands that all police officers responsible for this illegal intervention be held accountable and their victims compensated. The League recommends all victims of police brutality to contact other witnesses as soon as possible, to have any injuries examined by a doctor and a medical report issued. Victims of this illegal police intervention who want to file criminal charges against the police may contact the League lawyers on +420 608 719 535 or by e-mail at brno@llp.cz.

For further information, please contact:
Mgr. Jiří Kopal, lawyer, League of Human Rights
Mobile phone: +420 608 719 535

League of Human Rights - Liga lidských práv
Bratislavská 31
602 00 Brno
Tel.: +420 545 210 446
E-mail: brno@llp.cz"