Three suspects charged with terrorism for Pardubice fire: What we (don't) know so far

Three people were arrested yesterday for their suspected involvement in last Friday’s arson attack against weapons company LPP Holding in Pardubice, about 120 km east of Prague.

One of them was arrested in Slovakia and could soon be extradited across the border.

Two others – one Czech woman and one foreign man, likely from the US – have been charged with terrorism and participation in a terrorist group by Czech authorities and have been remanded in custody, meaning they will remain in prison until their trial.

Several people waving Palestinian flags gathered in front of the courthouse yesterday in an apparent show of support for the accused, and some even shouting “We love you!” to the defendants.

Prague’s chief public prosecutor Zdeněk Štěpánek said they were still looking for other suspects and were cooperating with foreign partners.

It’s still unclear which foreign partners, and how many additional suspects may still be on the run, although Denik N reports that Czech police are looking for seven people.

Meanwhile, the motives for the attack are still shrouded in mystery.

The so-called Earthquake Faction, an alleged anti-Zionist and pro-Palestinian group whose very existence remains unclear, has claimed responsibility for the attack, described as an act of resistance against LPP Holding’s defense cooperation with Elbit Systems, one of the largest Israeli arms manufacturers.

Yesterday, the group threatened to publish LPP’s internal documents if it didn’t sever ties with Elbit Systems by April 20. LPP Holding, on the other hand, has denied ever cooperating with the Israeli defense company.

Special investigators for the Czech National Center for Combating Terrorism, Extremism and Cybercrime (NCTEKK) are also working with the scenario of a “false flag” operation, when another state or entity hides behind a decoy to cover their tracks.

In that scenario, the Earthquake Faction could merely be a made-up organization and an empty shell, and other actors would be responsible.

Considering LPP’s drone production for Ukraine, a possible Russian trail is one of the leads under consideration, according to some sources.