Prague, March 1 (CTK) – The Czech opposition Civic Democrats (ODS) want a commission to be established to enquire into the case of five Czechs kidnapped in Lebanon and Justice Minister Robert Pelikan’s (ANO) way of dealing with it, ODS representatives told reporters on Tuesday.
They pointed to rumours saying that Pelikan’s brother, Arab language and culture expert Petr Pelikan, reportedly negotiated within the case on behalf of the Czech Republic.
The five Czech hostages were released in Lebanon in early February. On the day of their return home, Pelikan consented to the release of Ali Fayad and Khaled Marabi, two Lebanese whom the USA wants for suspected help to terrorists, from Czech custody.
Speculations have it that Prague swapped Fayad and Marabi for the five Czech hostages.
Czech officials would not comment on the classified information. Defence Minister Martin Stropnicky has been the only one to indicate that the two cases were interconnected.
Jana Cernochova, deputy chairwoman of the ODS group of deputies, said on Tuesday the media have been asking her whether Minister Pelikan really empowered his brother to conduct the negotiations.
“We do not know whether the justice minister’s brother left for Lebanon and whether his mandate there included a promise of amnesty for Mr Fayad,” Cernochova said.
According to Cernochova, another question is whether the idea of a minister empowering his family member hatched at the National Security Council (BRS) or in the head of Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD).
ODS chairman Petr Fiala said this has raised new doubts about the case.
“It is up to the justice minister and the prime minister to react to the information, which, if true, is very serious,” Fiala said.
If Pelikan assigned his relative with the negotiations, it is immoral and it casts doubt on the performance of the security forces and intelligence services, said Cernochova.
In the past days, Pelikan’s decision to release Fayad and not to extradite him to the USA was criticised by the other right-wing opposition party, TOP 09. It said Pelikan violated both the Czech and international law.
Dismissing the view, the Justice Ministry said the USA did not ask Prague to prosecute Fayad in the Czech Republic nor did it indicate such an intention. That is why conditions for a Czech prosecution of Fayad were not met, the ministry said.
