Czech morning news in brief: top headlines for July 1, 2021

Family of Roma man who died in police custody files criminal complaint

The family of a Roma man who died in Teplice shortly after being taken into police custody has filed a criminal complaint with the Police of the Czech Republic. The family will receive legal support from the European Roma Rights Center (ERRC). The deceased man's family will also request a second autopsy. Police in Teplice intervened on Saturday, June 19, in an alleged skirmish between two men. Police say when the patrol arrived, one of the men was lying on the ground with obvious injuries. As police approached him, he became aggressive and attacked them, officers said. Police used coercive means and called an ambulance, rescuers began resuscitation in the car, and about 15 minutes later the 44-year-old man was pronounced dead. A forensic autopsy ruled out the connection between death and police intervention and points rather to a drug overdose as the cause of death. The Council of Europe and the Czech branch of the human rights organization Amnesty International have called for a thorough investigation into the incident, describing the police intervention as illegal. ČTK

Czech president calls sexual assault allegations against Feri 'nonsense'

In an interview for Mladá fronta Dnes (MfD), President Miloš Zeman defended former TOP 09 MP Dominik Feri, whom several women have accused of sexual harassment and assault. Zeman said he had a similar view of the case as the former presidential candidate, Karel Schwarzenberg who called it 'normal' for 'a boy to try to get a girl into bed.' Feri's case is being investigated by the police. "I say that I do not deal with nonsense. I may surprise you, but I also consider this nonsense. Although I have differed in many views with Schwarzenberg, I must admit that my attitude to this alleged sex scandal is very close to his," At the end of May, the Denik-N daily and the Alarm server published testimonies from several women who claim that Feri had sex with them without their consent and that he tried to take nude photos of them or publicly humiliate them. The politician maintains he did not commit sexual violence but apologized for "inappropriate" behavior in some situations. ČTK

Prague labour office shooter planned further crimes

A man who shot and wounded a woman, who later died from her injuries, in Prague Tuesday planned to commit further serious crimes police said in a statement released Wednesday. The motive of the shooter was revenge for alleged wrongs, they added. The 66-year-old suspect is likely to be accused of several crimes, including murder, for which he could face a sentence 20 to 30 years or even life if convicted. The police will also propose that the man be remanded in custody and will ask for a psychological evaluation. The shooter managed to evade police after the attack on the female clerk Tuesday morning. Hundreds of police officers were searching for him and a helicopter was also deployed. He was detained later that day with an illegally possessed firearm. Officers later discovered a homemade shotgun in his car. ČTK

People In Need raises CZK 25M for villages hit by tornado

The organization People in Need sent CZK 25 million crowns to the accounts of South Moravian municipalities hit by last Thursday's tornado. The aid goes to the villages of Hrušky, Moravská Nová Ves, Lužice, Mikulčice, and to the Hodovín district of Pánov. Each will receive CZK 5 million. The organization will also send money to the affected villages of Stebno and Blatno in the Louny region by the end of the week, where on Wednesday the People in Need team conducted a survey of damages and needs. According to the organization, there is a lack of construction timber and material in the affected municipalities, and many seniors and injured people need help making repairs. So far, people have donated over CZK 900 million to disaster recovery efforts. ČTK

Seznam.cz buildings evacuated over bomb threat

The police evacuated ten buildings across the Czech Republic where the media company Seznam.cz has its premises over an anonymous bomb threat Wednesday. In all, over 3,000 employees had to leave their workplaces. Police detectives are searching for the person that sent the threat. A spokesperson confirmed that the branches of the firm were evacuated and added that all the employees who worked in the offices were evacuated safely. The police subsequently made a search of the buildings and then allowed staffers to return to the offices at the Prague headquarters and the branches in Brno and Ostrava. Owned by founder Ivo Lukacovic, Seznam.cz ("List.cz") is the top Czech company in the sphere of general browsing services, online advertising, and media content. It also operates the Seznam Zpravy news server and Televize Seznam television channel. ČTK