Daily news summary
Zeman: Czechs should arm themselves over threat of terrorism
President Miloš Zeman says Czech citizens should arm themselves in connection with the threat of terrorism. Mr. Zeman made the comment in an interview for tabloid news site Blesk.cz. The president said that he had been against the proliferation of weapons but had changed his position after recent terror attacks in Germany and France. He also called for active protection of the Czech Republic’s borders and said he would “not even be against a fence” on the country’s frontiers if there were a large inflow of illegal migrants. Mr. Zeman said asylum seekers who had their applications rejected should be quickly deported. Condemning terror attacks is easy, the only solution is doing away with the causes, the head of state told Blesk.cz.
Police investigate first known case of Czech trying to join IS
The police are investigating the first known case of a Czech citizen seeking to join Islamic State, the weekly Respekt reports in its latest issue due out on Monday. The man was arrested in January at an international airport in Turkey while bound for Syria. He was remanded in custody some time into the investigation on fears of repeat offending and could face up to 12 years in jail. Respekt said the available information suggested he was not part of a larger group.
Registered HIV infection rate jumps by over 200 in eight months
The number of registered cases of HIV infection in the Czech Republic at the end of June was 2,783, according to Miroslav Hlavatý of the organisation Red Ribbons, who cited data from the National Reference Laboratory for HIV/AIDS. Some 484 of those patients had developed AIDS, he said. The number in November last year was 2,567. Mr. Hlavatý said the latest figures showed that the infection rate was not declining but was on the contrary still very strong and on the rise. Of those registered with HIV around six out of seven are men.
Road deaths for July at lowest level for many decades
Fifty-six people have died on roads in the Czech Republic in July, the lowest number for the month since 1970, according to traffic police statistics quoted by the Czech News Agency. Last year 80 people were killed in road accidents in July. Nevertheless, July – with many people travelling for summer vacations – has seen the most road deaths of any month so far in 2016.
Police call on clients of HIV-infected prostitute to come forward
Police in Hradec Králové are appealing for clients of a prostitute accused of offering unprotected sex despite knowing she had HIV to come forward, iDnes.cz reported. The woman, who is 27 and went under the name Niky69, has been charged with attempted grievous bodily harm and spreading an infectious disease and could face up to 12 years in jail if found guilty. A police spokesperson promised the clients discretion and warned that if they did not undergo medical tests they were threatening not only their health but that of their partners.
Ministers clash over demand for funding for more police on streets
Finance Minister Andrej Babiš has again criticised Interior Minister Milan Chovanec’s demand for an extra CZK 3 billion in next year’s budget to increase police numbers and fight terrorism, iDnes.cz reported. For his part, Mr. Chovanec says the money should mainly go toward technical equipment and has already been approved by the cabinet. Mr. Babiš on Saturday accused Mr. Chovancec of populism, saying that the battle against terrorism should be fought by means of the secret services, not by increasing the number of police officers on the streets. The latter tweeted “Are we really going to have a political fight within the government regarding terrorism?” The two ministers have had a number of public spats.
Safe zones for swimmers being created on Vltava reservoirs
The state agency that manages the Vltava river, Povodí Vltavy, has begun marking out areas on reservoirs as safe zones for swimmers, Czech Television reported. The move follows a relaxation in the regulations last year that allowed motor boats and water scooters in places where they were previously banned. This has led to increased clashes, while a woman was killed earlier this summer when she was hit by a water scooter at Orlík Dam, Czech Television said. However, critics say the number safe zones planned – 16 – is insufficient.