Liberec court conditionally releases Čermák, first person convicted of terrorism in the Czech Republic
Tomáš Čermák, convicted of inciting violence against politicians, was released from prison after serving more than half of his sentence. The court imposed a four-year probationary period.
Liberec court releases Čermák on conditional freedom
The District Court in Liberec has ruled on the conditional release of thirty-nine-year-old Tomáš Čermák, who was finally convicted three years ago for support and promotion of terrorism. According to ceskenoviny.cz, the court granted his request after he had served more than half of the imposed sentence of 5.5 years imprisonment. The probationary period was set at four years with supervision by a probation officer.
The prosecutor Lenka Fričová agreed with the release, making the decision final. Čermák renounced his actions in court and a report from the prison confirmed that he is capable of leading an orderly life.
"Following the public hearing and after hearing the convicted person, the court has found that he has undergone the expected change in value approaches, that he has insight into his actions, and that he has completely reconsidered how he will behave in the future," Judge Denisa Šmídová told journalists. She added that the prison educator, who was in daily contact with him, confirmed a shift away from political obsession and a focus on personal life and contact with his daughter.
Incitement to violence broadcast live on Facebook
Čermák overstepped the bounds of freedom of expression during the coronavirus pandemic when he appeared in a live broadcast on social media Facebook against amendments to pandemic legislation. In a half-hour video, he called on viewers to actively resist, seize power, burn down the Senate, and withdraw the Czech Republic from the structures of the EU and NATO. He identified senators, MPs, and government members as the main targets of violence. Among other things, he stated that "we must shut those beasts up" and "we will drag them out by their snouts and throw them in the river and get rid of them once and for all".
At today's hearing, Čermák admitted that he would not proceed in this manner again. "After being here for that time, you simply realise that this is not the way, no matter what. That path has shown me that I only harm myself by doing this, that I can achieve nothing this way and that in the end no one will join me anyway," he said.
When asked by the prosecutor whether he understands that one cannot with impunity call for violence, he replied that he understands this very firmly. Fričová positively assessed his words: "The convicted person struck me as a very intelligent man who realised that he cannot act the way he did, and he promised that he will act properly and within the bounds of the law." She therefore recommended conditional release.
Five commendations in prison, shift away from admiration of Russia
A report from the prison described Čermák's behaviour as orderly — without conflicts and with five commendations awarded. "Initially he presented himself as a rejector of the current democratic regime and looked up to the Russian Federation. However, he in no way influenced other convicted persons with his views. At present he is moving away from these views and has focused on putting his personal life in order and providing genuine support to his family," the judge cited from the prison report.
The prison educator marked the turn for the better approximately one year before the release, identifying the loss of contact with his daughter as the key motivation. "He really is a different person. A person who has realised what he wants and wants to live a normal life," she said in court. Čermák was also vouched for by his relatives; he will live with them in the Plzeň region, where he also has a job secured through his stepfather.
First person finally convicted of terrorism in the Czech Republic
Čermák was the very first person in the Czech Republic to be finally convicted to imprisonment for support and promotion of terrorism. He initially evaded serving the sentence, and police tracked him down on the basis of an international arrest warrant. He was detained on 14 November 2023 in Poland, and Czech police took him into custody on 4 December of that year at the Chotěbuz–Cieszyn border crossing.
Source: Google News CZ — Crime (cs)