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The last group of Czech soldiers who served in the EU training mission in Mali on Friday received medals from Defense Minister Jana Černochová at a special ceremony at Prague's Vítkov Memorial. Czech soldiers were part of an EU task force that helped Mali fight Islamist militias. The EU countries taking part decided to withdraw the taskforce last year due to a lack of interest in maintaining the force on the part of the Mali leadership.

Czechs are voting in a second round of presidential elections to find a successor to President Miloš Zeman, whose second term in office ends on March 8. The two contenders for the top post, who are facing each other in a runoff, are retired army general Petr Pavel and billionaire former prime minister Andrej Babiš.

Polling stations around the country reopened at 8am on Saturday and will close at 2pm CET. The result is expected between 3 and 4pm.

Leading Czechs officials are marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day through a variety events this Friday. At a special commemoration organised by the Senate, the speaker of the upper-house, Miloš Vystrčil said that it is important to remember the victims of the Holocaust because totalitarianism, authoritarianism and hate are still present in today’s world, using Russia’s current actions in its conflict with Ukraine as an example.

Attending the event was also the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, who said that the gathering was taking place to honour those who maintained their humanity in the darkest hours of recent history.

A special exhibition titled “Invisible Synagogues” is also being held in conjunction with the Senate-organised commemoration. It features images made by photographer Štěpán Bartoš of spaces across Czechia where Jewish synagogues used to stand.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is hosting an array of events focused on commemorating the victims of the Holocaust as well as preventing crimes against humanity. Aside from Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský, these are being attended by various diplomats, ambassadors and representatives of Jewish organisation, among them Holocaust survivors.

Czech President Miloš Zeman does not currently need to apologise to his former advisor Zdeňek Šarapatka for falsely claiming that the latter lost his job at the Office of Government due to incompetence, the country’s Supreme Court decided on Thursday. The ruling was made following a proposal by President Zeman’s lawyer. The Supreme Court is also set to look into the case once more.

Mr Šarapatka, who originally sued the president and issued a property seizure proposal against Mr Zeman after the head of state refused to apologise, reacted to the Supreme Court’s decision by stating on Twitter that it shows not all citizens are equal in front of the law.

Miloš Zeman said in November 2017 that Mr Šarapatka was fired from his position at the Office of the Government for incompetence. However, the former advisor said he left his job after a mutual agreement by both parties and a subsequent trial ruled in his favour.