The Brno Municipal Court has upheld fines and suspended sentences previously handed down to six members of the leadership of the dissolved Workers' Party (Dělnická strana - DS). Judge Šárka Schinzelová sentenced the men for extremist statements made in 2009 at a 1 May demonstration in Brno. The DS was subsequently dissolved by the Czech Supreme Administrative Court and its leadership, including its chair Tomáš Vandas, then founded the Workers' Social Justice Party (Dělnická strana sociální spravedlnosti - DSSS).
The suspended sentences of between four and eight months and fines of between CZK 20 000 and 30 000 were handed down by Schinzelová last November. Vandas was sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for 20 months, and a fine of CZK 25 000. The other sentences were very similar, but the Regional Court in Brno overturned the verdict on appeal and instructed the first-instance court to re-hear the case and to include a detailed deposition by Michal Mazel, an expert witness on extremism.
Mr Mazel was deposed on 10 May and confirmed that the 2009 statements made by the six were extremely radical, incited racial intolerance, and were indirectly connected to Nazism. Vandas and the others, in Mazel's view, violated the rights of minorities living in the Czech Republic through their remarks, in particular immigrants, Roma people, and the Vietnamese. The speakers warned against "an immigrant tsunami", labeled the Vietnamese drug-producers, and criticized Roma people for "abusing" welfare.
DSSS representatives had previously rejected Mazel's first evaluation of their speeches, calling his analysis confused and illogical. The judge did not agree.
"The defendants have since downplayed and minimized their original remarks, saying they were allegories, hyperbole, or jokes," the judge said. She reminded the court that the DS had been dissolved by the Supreme Administrative Court precisely because of the extremist approach taken by its leadership and promoters and emphasized that "not even seven-year-old child" could believe the defendants' arguments. The judge reminded the defendants that they had referred to the Nazi Third Reich in their speeches and lauded a "white Europe".
Speaking after the verdict was handed down, Vandas told the Czech Press Agency that he and the others who had been sentenced would appeal to the Brno Regional Court once more. "We are carrying on with speeches like the ones we made on 1 May 2009. We do not intend to change anything about them and we are not ashamed of them. They were true statements... I definitely do not have any reason for repentance or self-pity," the DSSS chair stressed.
Romea
Sunday, 15 May 2011
Three arrested after English Defence League target Darlington mosque (UK)
Two men and a youth were arrested earlier today after a "large scale disorder" in Darlington - believed to involve members of the far-right English Defence League.
Police attended the North Lodge Park area of the town at 4.20pm after a group of around 30 gathered near the Jamia Mosque.
Superintendent Paul Unsworth said: "These people were acting in a rowdy, abusive and offensive manner and we believe their actions were racially motivated.
"Officers attended to ensure the crowd dispersed without causing further disruption or disorder."
A 49-year-old man from Redcar was arrested on suspicion of theft and a 40-year-old man from Spennymoor and a 17-year-old from Middlesbrough were arrested on suspicion of causing a public order offence. All three were taken to Darlington police station for questioning.
Supt Unsworth appealed for anyone in the North Lodge Terrace or Gladstone Street area and who has information regarding the incident to call police on 0345 60-60365 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
It is understood that the group may have attended an English Defence League rally on Teesside earlier in the day.
The Northern Echo
Police attended the North Lodge Park area of the town at 4.20pm after a group of around 30 gathered near the Jamia Mosque.
Superintendent Paul Unsworth said: "These people were acting in a rowdy, abusive and offensive manner and we believe their actions were racially motivated.
"Officers attended to ensure the crowd dispersed without causing further disruption or disorder."
A 49-year-old man from Redcar was arrested on suspicion of theft and a 40-year-old man from Spennymoor and a 17-year-old from Middlesbrough were arrested on suspicion of causing a public order offence. All three were taken to Darlington police station for questioning.
Supt Unsworth appealed for anyone in the North Lodge Terrace or Gladstone Street area and who has information regarding the incident to call police on 0345 60-60365 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
It is understood that the group may have attended an English Defence League rally on Teesside earlier in the day.
The Northern Echo
NEO-NAZI MARCH STOPPED AFTER FEW METERS IN BERLIN (Germany)
Around 150 Neo-Nazis tried to march through the mainly alternative district Kreuzberg in Berlin. The march was made official yesterday in the evening, as the police wanted to prevent a massive protest from left activists and migrants. The motto from the Neo-Nazi march was "Wahrheit macht frei" (The truth makes one free) - a slogan which reminds of the entrance slogan from the concentration camp Auschwitz and Dachau "Arbeit macht frei" (Work makes one free). The march was officially organized by the Politician Sebastian Schmidtke. He is a member of the Neo-Nazi party NPD (Nationalist Democratic Party). Several leading persons from the forbidden right wing group "Märkischer Heimatschutz" were also at the scene. The Neo-Nazis were mostly from the so called "Autonomous Nationalist" faction, a faction which copycats radical left symbols and clothings to attract young people from the mainstream society. But besides the short amount of time more than 600 people gathered at the starting point of the Nazi march to protest against them. Suddenly the Neo-Nazis moved down into the subway station "Mehringdamm" and attacked migrants as well as left protesters.
More than 30 people, mostly migrants, were injured at the subway; four of them had to be brought into hospital. For the attack the Neo-Nazis used forbidden steel rods. Three Neo-Nazis were arrested. The police lost the control as the Nazi activists tried to force their march outside the second exit of the subway station. But here several hundred people blocked the route. Bottles, fire crackers as well as vegetables where thrown from both sides, several people got injured. The riot police finally managed to surround the Neo-Nazis but were themselves surrounded by left protesters. The situation was very chaotic and every few minutes scuffle broke out. After less than an hour the riot police got backing and forced a way through the protesters for the Neo-Nazis towards the subway station again. For this the police used a massive amount of tear gas. Several additional people needed medical care afterwards. At this point the situation escalated again and the Neo-Nazis had to flee down the stairs as they where attacked from all sides. At the moment the situation is calm again, as the Neo-Nazis where brought with the subway into the outskirts of Berlin.
Demotix
More than 30 people, mostly migrants, were injured at the subway; four of them had to be brought into hospital. For the attack the Neo-Nazis used forbidden steel rods. Three Neo-Nazis were arrested. The police lost the control as the Nazi activists tried to force their march outside the second exit of the subway station. But here several hundred people blocked the route. Bottles, fire crackers as well as vegetables where thrown from both sides, several people got injured. The riot police finally managed to surround the Neo-Nazis but were themselves surrounded by left protesters. The situation was very chaotic and every few minutes scuffle broke out. After less than an hour the riot police got backing and forced a way through the protesters for the Neo-Nazis towards the subway station again. For this the police used a massive amount of tear gas. Several additional people needed medical care afterwards. At this point the situation escalated again and the Neo-Nazis had to flee down the stairs as they where attacked from all sides. At the moment the situation is calm again, as the Neo-Nazis where brought with the subway into the outskirts of Berlin.
Demotix
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