The Supreme Court has upheld the verdict concerning Allajar Babirov, an Uzbek individual, who was given an 18-month suspended sentence with a three-year probation period for assaulting two Ukrainians in the heart of Prague. The Prague courts determined that Babirov’s actions of assault and battery were justified due to his response to a preceding attack. Prosecutor Igor Stříž appealed to the Supreme Court, seeking a different legal classification, contending that the initial stabbing constituted attempted homicide. However, his appeal was unsuccessful.
The Supreme Court’s ruling in May, which was issued without a public hearing, states, “The accused’s actions throughout the conflict consistently reflected the intention to defend himself from the aggression of a specific group of assailants.” The rationale for this decision is only available in retrospect, considering the legal process served upon the parties involved. In his appeal, Stříž highlighted that Babirov used a 10-centimeter bladed knife to strike the chest of one of the Ukrainians. This area of the body, according to the appeal, is “commonly understood, even by individuals without anatomical or medical expertise, to house vital organs.” The appeal asserts, “The objectively established circumstances of the attack therefore strongly indicate that the accused must have been at least conscious of the potential fatal outcome of his actions.”
The incident transpired on the evening of May 15, 2021, at Palacký Square. A group of young Ukrainians were consuming alcohol in the adjacent Zítek Gardens when the inebriated Babirov approached them. As per the prosecution, his purpose was to reprimand them for playing loud music. According to his own account, he intervened after witnessing a brawl and was concerned about the well-being of the assaulted man. After a brief period of calm conversation, Babirov left for the tram stop. However, some of the Ukrainians subsequently assaulted him with physical blows.
In a matter of moments, Babirov sprinted toward another group of Ukrainians and attacked one of them with a knife. The assault resulted in cutting the victim’s jugular vein and piercing his lung. Emergency surgery saved the critically wounded foreigner’s life. The final verdict of the Prague courts concluded that Babirov had a reasonable fear for his life. When the Ukrainians attempted to restrain Babirov, he inflicted minor injuries on another one of them using a knife on their arm and shoulder.
Source: prazska.drbna.cz
