Czech senators to fight part of presidential amnesty

A group of Czech senators plans to fight part of President Václav Klaus’ amnesty declaration, which affects thousands of prisoners. Senators from various political parties promised to sign a proposal against the amnesty, with it to be submitted to the Czech Constitutional Court.
Lawyers Milan Hulík and Hana Marvanová prepared the proposal, which claims that Klaus’ amnesty declaration violates victims’ equality rights.
“The right of the accused potential perpetrators to a just trial was preferred. However, it thereby denies the right of the damaged parties to just proceedings, meaning the possibility to lay their property claims,” Marvanová told ČTK. “I suppose that this is at variance with the Charter of the Fundamental Rights and Freedoms.”
The case would set a precedent, as constitutional judges have never dealt with such a proposal before. Klaus announced the amnesty declaration on Jan. 1, which applies to convicts with low-level sentences, as well as elderly prisoners and suspects whose criminal proceedings have dragged on for more than eight years. The amnesty decision immediately triggered controversy as it would halt prosecution in serious economic crime cases.