Hoffman released from prison

Former communist functionary Karel Hoffman, who recently began serving a four-year prison sentence for treason, has been released on the grounds of ill health. A Prague City court ruled in favour of his release on Friday after consulting a new medical report put forward by prison doctors. The 80-year-old Hoffman had been found guilty of treason and sentenced to four-years in prison for having ordered public radio broadcasts to be halted at the time of the Russian-led invasion of Czechoslovakia in August, 1968.

Mr Hoffman was the oldest prisoner in the Czech Republic and his health is said to have seriously worsened in recent days. In total, he spent twenty-five days behind bars.