Investigators, in collaboration with the Prague prosecutor’s office, are actively working on resolving three cases of looting in Ukraine involving Czech citizens as suspects. One individual has already been formally charged, while the investigation into the remaining two cases is still ongoing.
Additionally, investigators are looking into a separate incident where a foreign national residing in the Czech Republic violated the anti-Russian sanctions imposed by Czech authorities. This individual attempted to export luxury vehicles to Russia, resulting in the initiation of a criminal case by the police.
The newly established National Headquarters for Combating Terrorism, Extremism, and Cybercrime is also dedicated to investigating war crimes. Their focus extends to crimes committed by Czech citizens in Ukraine.
Lenka Bradachova, the head of the Prague Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, stated, “These cases involve looting in areas affected by military conflicts, which constitutes war crimes. We are currently handling three cases involving a total of three individuals. One of them is already in custody, while the other two are still under investigation.” It is worth noting that Bradachova’s team is the only group in the Czech Republic handling war crimes cases related to Ukraine.
Regarding the aforementioned violation of anti-Russian sanctions, Bradachova explained that the accused individual is facing charges for serving in foreign armed forces, which carries a potential prison sentence of up to 5 years. However, the primary charge revolves around looting in a war zone, which carries significantly harsher penalties. The range of punishment for this offense is between 8 and 12 years, but the accused may receive an exceptional sentence exceeding 20 years. Consequently, the individual remains in custody, awaiting a court decision.
The case in question involves a 26-year-old Czech volunteer named Philip S., who came to the attention of the news outlet Seznam Zprávy last year. In March of the previous year, Philip served as a volunteer soldier in the Ukrainian volunteer battalion Karpatska Sech. In a subsequent interview, Philip confirmed his participation in the Ukrainian armed forces and admitted to looting abandoned houses that his unit was tasked with clearing from Russian occupation troops. He acknowledged taking items such as Gucci sunglasses and silver investment bars, comprising a complete set of around 12 pieces. These items were sealed in plastic and accompanied by a certificate from a Ukrainian bank.
Philip stated, “The commander told me that spoils of war were part of the war. We weren’t doing anything that others weren’t doing. In hindsight, I realize it was probably a foolish act.” According to Bradachova, two other Czech volunteers, who have yet to face charges from the police, are suspected of committing the same crime as Philip S.
Furthermore, the Prague prosecutors are actively monitoring cases involving violations of sanctions imposed by the Czech Republic against the Russian Federation. Bradachova noted that most perpetrators attempt to circumvent the ban on importing and exporting specific goods.
“We are currently investigating one such case. In recent weeks, the Police Department of the National Central Office of Organized Crime (NCOZ) initiated legal proceedings against a foreign national for attempting to breach international sanctions,” Bradachova explained.
“The suspicion revolves around the attempted exportation of expensive cars to the Russian Federation in direct violation of the existing sanctions, which explicitly prohibited such exports,” Bradachova added. The individual involved faces a potential prison term of up to 3 years or a fine for contravening international sanctions.
