Czech Police arrest two men at right-wing extremist event in Most

Police arrested two men today at a right-wing extremist event in Most, Czech Republic, for wearing suspicious symbols. No charges have yet been filed against them, according to police spokesperson Ludmila Světláková. Police estimate a total of 70 people attended the event. Right-wing radicals have regularly commemorated the memory of their fellow-traveler, Miloš Reho, since his death in 1999.

No other problems occurred during the commemoration and police did not intervene against the gathering, which ended calmly this afternoon. Last year’s commemoration was attended by about 200 extremists.

Both men were arrested at the Most train station before the event began. One man, from Most, was wearing the possibly illegal symbols on his sweatshirt and t-shirt. The other man, from Louny, was arrested because of a tattoo on his arm.

Both detainees are suspected of expressing sympathy for a movement aimed at suppressing human rights and freedoms. The maximum possible sentence for this crime is three years in prison. One of those detained has already been released by police and the other will be released as soon as everything about his case is documented. An expert must now evaluate the symbols. “For now they have not been charged, they are just suspects,” the police spokesperson said.

The extremists gathered before noon today at the Most train station, visited Reho’s grave, then continued on to Litvínov. Police recorded no problems during the event and did not intervene against it. The participants dispersed in the afternoon, but police patrols remained on the streets in both Litvínov and Most to follow the situation.

Right-wing extremists have been commemorating Miloš Reho’s memory since 2000. Reho was a promoter of the ultra-right Patriotic Front, which is not very active today, and was also a violent criminal. In May 1999 he was seriously injured during a brawl with a Roma man seven years his senior and died as a result of his injuries at the age of 19. The incident took place shortly after Reho was released from prison, where he had served 26 months for almost kicking a friend of his to death over a girl.

According to media reports, on the evening in question Reho and two other friends attacked three Roma men who were waiting at around 3 AM for the first morning train to Most in the Jáva restaurant. The protocol of the trial at the North Bohemian Regional Court describes the moments preceding the fatal attack as follows: “While the Roma men were waiting, three skinhead youths in bomber jackets and high-topped boots came into the restaurant, which is open until 5 AM. They started verbally harassing the Roma men with racist remarks. The Roma men, including P. G., decided to wait on the street instead, but the violent skinheads ran after them. The Roma men then fled, but P.G. stumbled and was caught and kicked by the skinheads.” P. G. eventually managed to flee and borrowed a switchblade knife. He and his friends then went after the skinheads. When Miloš Reho, who was physically in better shape, pushed P.G. to the ground once more and started punching his face, P.G. stabbed him in the chest.

“I request the court evaluate this case as one of necessary self-defense. My client originally did his best to prevent any kind of incident, but did not succeed thanks to the aggression of the skinheads,” Jiří Nedvědický, the defense attorney for P.G., told the court. He also submitted medical reports to the panel of judges as proof of the fact that skinheads also attacked the defendant’s mother more than once after the incident. In February 2000, the Regional Court in Ústí nad Labem sent the Roma defendant to prison for 10 years for grievous bodily harm resulting in death.