Five cleared of planning firebomb attack

Prague’s Municipal Court has dropped charges against five Czechs who had been accused of planning a terrorist attack on a train near Chuchle’s railway bridge in 2015.

The prosecution charged that the five, described as anarchists, had prepared and buried two Molotov cocktails containing polystyrene, cooking oil, and gasoline, near a location from where they had allegedly planned to firebomb a train transporting military equipment.

The prosecution argued the five had aimed to threaten lives in the attack. Three of the five charged faced potential sentences between 12 and 20 years in jail.

The lead judge overseeing the case explained that there were unanswered questions about steps taken by the police, which had lacked transparency. The use of undercover agents in the case was also questionable as they may have served the roles of agent provocateurs. Friday’s decision may still be appealed.

Author: Jan Velinger