Communist MP Vondruška charged with abuse of office, beating prisoners

Czech police have filed charges against Communist MP Josef Vondruška, who stands accused of maltreating prisoners in Minkovice jail in the 1980s. Mr Vondruška is charged with abuse of office, having purportedly beaten inmates while working as a warder at the prison. The Communist MP allegedly targeted political prisoners such as the dissidents Jiří Wolf and Vladimir Hučín. He denies all charges. Late last year, Czech parliamentarians decided to strip Mr Vondruška of his political immunity and hand him over to the police for investigation.