Czech activists may face imprisonment for painting Ukrainian flag in front of buildings rented by Russia

A criminal case has been opened in Czechia against activists from the Kaputin! group who, on the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, painted a several-metre-long Ukrainian flag on the sidewalk in front of buildings rented by the Russian Federation.

Source: European Pravda, citing Seznam Spravy, a Czech search engine and online media outlet

Details: The activists from the Kaputin! group wanted to draw attention to the anniversary of the start of the great war against Ukraine and the lack of support for Kyiv from Western countries. Seven activists painted a Ukrainian flag in the Bubench district of Prague, in front of a residential complex rented by the Russian Federation. In response, the Russian residents of the buildings shouted at the activists from their balconies, and one of them threw an egg at the activists.

Now, Czech police want to prosecute the seven activists, who face up to three years in prison for damaging property. 

Prague police spokesman Richard Hrdina said that the damage caused by the action amounted to about 50,000 Czech crowns (approximately US$2,150) and that the area where the activists painted the flag was a private area.

"I can confirm that criminal proceedings have been opened in this case. This was a criminal offence, and experts estimated damage caused to comprise nearly 50,000 Czech crowns. Seven people are suspected of having committed the crime of damaging foreign property, as they committed this act in an area that is protected under legal regulations," Hrdina explained.

The flag of Ukraine was painted in the courtyard of the Russian Embassy’s gated residential complex. The activists involved said that the courtyard is public territory owned by the Czech state, and the Russian embassy has no contract for its use.

Václav Němec, a member of the Kaputin! group, was surprised by the accusations. "We believe that, given the context, this should’ve been classified as a misdemeanour. For us, it was not about damaging someone else’s property. It was an act of political protest, which we consider to be much more serious than drawings on the sidewalk," he said.

Background:

• The Kaputin! group has been opposing Russian aggression in Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion. In the past, it has repeatedly publicly displayed a statue of Russian leader Vladimir Putin on a golden toilet.
• Kaputin! also auctioned off the statue of Putin to buy a drone for Ukraine.

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