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Verdict in the Workers’ Party case to be announced 17 February

22 October 2012
1 minute read

The Czech Supreme Administrative Court has set the date for its postponed session on the Czech Govermment’s motion to dissolve the Workers’ Party for Wednesday, 17 February 2010 at 10:00 CET. Such sessions are set only for the purpose of announcing a verdict. A press conference will follow at the courthouse in Brno at 13:00 CET.

At the conclusion of the four-day hearing in January, attorney for the government Tomas Sokol said the evidence submitted proved there are grounds for dissolving the party. Sokol said the party is racist, violent and xenophobic, provoking unrest and collaborating with the National Resistance and other ultra-right organizations in the Czech Republic and abroad. Sokol emphasized photographic evidence of party members giving the Nazi salute and associating with known neo-Nazis.

Workers’ Party chair Tomas Vandas said in his closing statement that the trial was political. He claimed the government filed the motion due to the party’s growing popularity and that there was no evidence of any illegal behavior by the party.

Vandas also indicated the possibility that party events which culminated in violence could have been intentionally interfered with by “agents” in order to discredit the party. He also claimed the party has no connection to Hitler’s National Socialism.

Lastly, Vandas said the dispute with the government could assist the party no matter the outcome, as the trial has given the party visibility. The party can defend itself against eventual dissolution through a constitutional complaint. Its members can also join a different party, such as the related Workers’ Social Justice Party. “We will participate in the elections in any event,” Vandas said.

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