Prague, May 15 (CTK) – Czech defence lawyer Jan Kalvoda has filed a lawsuit against the authorities for having thwarted a demonstration against the violation of human rights by China during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Prague in March, weekly Respekt writes in its issue to be out on Monday.
About ten organisations announced their planned demonstration at the Hradcanske Square, near Prague Castle, to the authorities duly in advance.
However, on the day of the protest, the police sealed the square for pedestrians and vehicles, citing security reasons.
The officers banned the demonstrators from entering the square, which is why the latter had to stage their meeting elsewhere.
The organisers said the police violated their right to assembly that is guaranteed by the Czech constitution.
The police prevented the demonstration based on the decision of the City Hall. Acting on the police’s request, the City Hall applied a directive on the closing of roads, Respekt writes.
Similar procedure was used by the communist regime before 1989 whenever it wanted to prevent someone’s appearance in public, the weekly writes.
Kalvoda, in his complaint, reportedly argues that the fundamental constitutional right to assembly cannot be restricted by a directive but only by the law on assembly.
Kalvoda has filed the lawsuit against the police and the Justice Ministry. He wants the police president and the interior minister to be questioned as well, Respekt writes.
A group of senators turned to the Constitutional Court (US) over the thwarted anti-China demonstration recently.
