Czech morning news in brief: top headlines for May 12, 2021

The Czech Republic and other EU states are facing criticism on social networks for their stand on the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Turkish pro-government Daily Sabah writing that they side with Israel and ignore the violence Israel inflicts upon Palestinian civilians in Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. Along with the Czech Republic, criticism has been leveled at Germany, France, Hungary, and Austria. According to Daily Sabah, these nations' statements about the latest flare-up which has claimed the lives of at least 32, all resemble the statement made by Israel. In reaction to the latest airstrike, Czech Foreign Minister Jakub Kulhanek called for an immediate halt to the rocket attacks waged from Gaza against Israel. "We resolutely condemn any fomenting of violence and hope that a further escalation of unrest in Jerusalem will be averted," Kulhanek wrote.

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The municipalities and people close to the Vrbětice ammunition depot that exploded in 2014 are claiming compensation of hundreds of millions of crowns. Due to the explosion, hundreds of hectares of fields were not cultivated, real estate was devalued, and quality of life was affected. The direct damage to the municipal property of Vlachovice, Haluzice, Lipova, and Slavicin villages is estimated at CZK 80 million, while further damage to people and municipalities will reach hundreds of millions of crowns. So far, the citizens of three affected municipalities received just a 3,100-CZK pay out for the evacuation during the blast. While Czech intelligence services have a grounded suspicion that Russia's GRU intelligence agents were involved in the explosion, a culprit has yet to be found. Local municipalities called on the government, the Interior, Defence, and Finance Ministries to hold those who committed the tragedy accountable even if close ties with a foreign power are revealed.

The Czech Speleological Society has discovered a large dome in the Moravian Karst. The dome measures approximately 30x30 meters and is covered with numerous stalactites. Discoveries in the Moravian Karst of this magnitude are a rarity though the area's 1,110 caves are extensively studied. The most famous is the Punkva Caves, which are connected with the Macocha Abyss. The largest is the Amateur Cave system with a length of over 40 kilometers. A similarly large dome was found by cavers in 2019 while working in the Sonda pod Jednička cave. A previous discovery of this magnitude dates back to 2013 when a new cave called Matalova Vymodlená was discovered. The dome has yet to be named and will not be accessible to the public.

In what is one of the strictest punishments meted out by Czech courts to a former StB member, an appeals court has upheld the 5.5-year prison sentence of former communist secret police (StB) officer Vladimir Marecek who forced a dissident to leave Czechoslovakia along with his family 40 years ago, iDNES.cz is reporting. The Prague Municipal Court panel has dismissed the appeals lodged by Marecek and his former superior. The court dismissed the arguments of the defense counsel who warned of retroactivity and the statute of limitations, proposing the acquittal for the defendants. The court ruled that Marecek was guilty in 11 counts describing how he forced Vaclav Komeda, a signatory of the Charter 77 dissident manifesto, into leaving the Czech Republic. In reaction to permanent harassment, Komeda and his family eventually left Czechoslovakia for Austria in December 1981.

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