On Thursday, 4 April, the state prosecutor in the Czech
town of Děčín filed charges against 15 women for allegedly perpetrating the
crime of promoting and supporting the neo-Nazi movement Resistance Women Unity
(RWU). Děčín State Prosecutor Petr Minich announced that if convicted of the
charges, the women face up to eight years in prison.
The charges are related to the organization and promotion
of activities by the RWU movement. "Charges have been filed against them
for the felony crime of promoting and supporting a movement aimed at suppressing
human rights and freedoms,” Minich announced.
The events concerned took place not only in Děčín, but
primarily in Central Bohemia, such as in the towns of Kladno, Kutná Hora and
the capital, Prague, between 2007 and 2009. "The Penal Code prescribes up
to eight years in prison for that felony,” Minich said.
Those charged are between the ages of 22 and 33. Police
believe they supported the movement in particular at events organized for
ultra-right promoters, as well as by publishing invitations and other materials
online.
The charges were filed on 4 April with the District Court
in Děčín. However, it is possible the main trial will take place elsewhere.
"Since many crimes will be discussed, but only one was
perpetrated here in Děčín, I presume the court here will propose to the High
Court that it is not the appropriate venue and ask it to rule on where the
trial will take place,” the state prosecutor said. The charges were processed
in Děčín because the order to do so came from the Regional State Prosecutor in Ústí
nad Labem.
"The RWU is ideologically linked to a similar women’s
organization that existed in Hitler’s Germany up until 1945 and was established on
the pretext that Aryan women are racially superior,” Pavel Hanták, spokesperson
for the Organized Crime Detection Unit (Útvar pro odhalování organizovaného
zločinu – ÚOOZ), said in February 2012. Hanták had already previously announced
that the prosecution of the 15 women is linked to a police raid performed in 2009
which resulted in charges against 18 right-wing extremists.
Resistance Women Unity is a Czech women’s organization
established in the summer of 2007. Its aim is to contribute to strengthening
opposition to a system which the RWU believes is “aimed against the long-term
survival of white families”.
According to its declarations, RWU wants to reach out to
women in the pro-national movement, to promote the “traditional family structure”,
and to protest against feminism. Some RWU members were also
involved in the ultra-right extremist Workers’ Party (Dělnická strana – DS),
which was dissolved by court order.
