Czech president confirms ransom sum for two women hostages in Pakistan

Czech president Miloš Zeman confirmed on Wednesday that a ransom of around 150 million crowns was paid for the release of two Czech women who were held hostage in Pakistan for almost two years. He said the then government was faced with a difficult dilemma over whether to pay the sum demanded or see the women executed or sold into slavery. Zeman’s comments confirm the broad sum earlier reported by the weekly Respekt. But his words brought condemnation of the Czech head of state from prime minister Bohuslav Sobotka and from the head of the Christian Democrats, Pavel Bělobrádek who said that the confirmation of secret details served no useful purpose. The two Czechs were released in March last year. Zeman later said he had not confirmed anything but merley repeated information that was already public.