Prague, Aug 31 (CTK) – The Czech cabinet approved on Wednesday a package of measures submitted by the Interior Ministry and aimed to lower the risk of a terrorist attack, Transport Minister Dan Tok (ANO) told the media.
The package enables the use of intelligence information as evidence recognised by courts, provides for changes in the system of expelling of or granting asylum to foreigners and extends the checks of cross-border financial transfers.
Apart from its legislative part, the package is supposed to have another, classified part related to non-legislative means to help suppress terrorism.
At present, materials gained by intelligence services cannot be submitted as pieces of evidence even if the intelligence gained the information in accordance with law.
As a result, situations can happen where intelligence agents gain information about a suspect but the police cannot use it at court, the Interior Ministry said in a document promoting its anti-terrorist package.
“The situation can only be changed by amending the Penal Code so that it explicitly enables the use of information, which was gained in accordance with laws concerning intelligence services, in criminal proceedings,” the ministry proposed.
Further changes apply to foreigners.
The package prevents the foreigners who face expulsion from expediently prolonging their stay in the Czech Republic.
The ministry also wants the asylum system on the internal Schengen border to be accelerated. Foreigners should undergo primary checks that would enable the Czech Republic, a country without an external Schengen border, to turn down unacceptable or unfounded asylum applications earlier.
“This would either mean sped-up proceedings within which the applicants’ personal freedom would be restricted by their stay in a provisional centre on the Schengen internal border or in another closed facility (not a prison),” the ministry wrote.
Other legislative changes concern the preservation of information from telecommunication and the rules applying for the intelligence service (UZSI).
The ministry wants to have an analysis completed to deal with the police’s power to intervene at events involving a high number of people.
Another analysis is to deal with the punishment of those who joined fightings abroad.
Furthermore, the Interior Ministry, in cooperation with the Justice Ministry, want to assess whether the criminal law sufficiently punishes terrorism.
Together with the legislative part of the package, the cabinet is supposed to have also discussed its classified part on Wednesday.
The Transport Ministry is to prepare another document concerning anti-terrorist measures with the aim to raise security at airports.
The goal of all the above materials is to lower the risk of a terrorist attack. They have been completed in reaction to last year’s terrorist attacks in Europe.
