Coronavirus: President Zeman rejects call to grant amnesty to prisoners

President Miloš Zeman has rejected a call to grant amnesty to prisoners serving short sentences for minor offences, aimed at reducing high concentrations of people during the coronavirus pandemic.

His spokesman Jiří Ovčáček said on Twitter that Zeman, “unlike his two predecessors, is a fundamentally opposed to blanket amnesties” and further thinks it’s a bad idea given the current epidemiological and economic situation.

Petr Toman, a partner in the law firm Toman, Devátý & Partneři, sent the proposal to the president on Thursday. Among other things, it also suggesting granting amnesty to some people under house arrest.

Meanwhile, the Prison Service has distributed sewing machines and other equipment to prisoners so they can make protective facemasks for themselves and others.

Author: Brian Kenety