Czech court rejects one bias complaint filed against expert witness on extremism

The District Court in Most has rejected one of two accusations of bias filed by attorney Petr Kočí on behalf of DSSS member Lucie Šlégrová against Michal Mazel, an expert witness on extremism. In the complaint, the attorney claimed the expert’s affidavits were overpriced, that Mazel is financially dependent on the police, and that he is active in the TOP 09 party.

The court did not agree with any of the attorney’s arguments. Mazel has informed the press of the court’s ruling.

Šlégrová is on trial before the court in Most and complained through her attorney about the bias of the expert, who said her remarks to a public gathering in Litvínov promoted anti-Semitism and Nazism. “They filed objections in the two cases in which Šlégrová is a defendant. The decision on one of them has been delivered to me,” Mazel said.

The expert says the content of the complaints is identical, save for the fact that the second complaint argues that Mazel is biased because of his alleged Jewish origin. The court has not yet issued a decision on that objection.

Kočí and Šlégrová deduced the expert’s alleged origins from the surname Mazel, which they said is from the Hebrew name Moshe. The attorney says he never claimed the expert is actually Jewish, but merely asked the court to investigate.

Mazel, who helped convict the Vítkov arsonists, among others, previously stated he would take legal action against some of Kočí’s statements. Due to increasing pressure from ultra-right promoters, Mazel has also decided to resign as an expert witness in order to address the personal attacks against him without risking his credibility.

Kočí’s objections have become something of a public sensation. The board of the Czech Bar Association will be reviewing the attorney’s procedure next week. The Audit Chamber of the bar has also received many complaints from attorneys and will decide whether to institute disciplinary proceedings against Kočí. Pavel Rychetský, chair of the Czech Constitutional Court, has sharply criticized the attorney in the Czech media.