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Penalties for harming the environment are expected to be significantly increased, potentially up to 10 years in prison. This is included in an amendment to the Criminal Code, which also revises the definitions of existing environmental crimes and introduces new ones, including the prosecution of perpetrators of so-called “ecocide,” meaning the most severe forms of ecological disasters. The proposal from the Ministry of Justice, which is based on a relevant European directive, will be discussed by the government on Monday.

The authors of the amendment pointed out that in the Czech Republic, the vast majority of illegal acts against the environment are currently treated only as misdemeanors, which has been criticized. The effectiveness of prosecuting this type of crime is also low. Between 2000 and 2024, around 100 people and 8 companies were convicted of environmental crimes. Offenders most often received suspended sentences or fines. Only in two cases did courts send them to prison. The highest corporate fine amounted to 600,000 Czech crowns.

The District Court in Česká Lípa today did not send a man suspected of stealing the skull of Saint Zdislava from the basilica in Jablonné v Podještědí into custody.

The prosecutor had requested detention due to concerns that the suspect might repeat the crime, influence witnesses, or attempt to flee. The hearing was held behind closed doors, and according to a reporter from ČTK, the accused left after the proceedings by car with his lawyer.

Restorers will try to remove the skull from the concrete. On Friday, Česká Lípa police director Petr Rajt said that the result of their efforts would likely not be known for several days. At the same time, he expressed confidence that the priceless historical relic had been saved at the last possible moment.

According to police, the man justified the theft by saying that he disagreed with displaying the relic in a church and wanted to bury it privately.

The Czech government will likely be allowed to increase defence spending above approved budget limits until 2036 under a disputed amendment passed by the lower house on Thursday. Defence spending above two percent of GDP would no longer count towards official expenditure ceilings.

The amendment would also allow the government to raise spending on major strategic infrastructure projects. The proposal, put forward by Finance Minister Alena Schillerová, will now go to the Senate.

Opposition parties say the changes weaken budget responsibility rules and could lead to uncontrolled government spending and rising state debt. They also object to provisions allowing the government in some cases to adjust the budget without parliamentary approval and say they plan to challenge the law at the Constitutional Court.

Saturday will be mostly cloudy with occasional rain. Temperatures will range between 9 and 13 degrees Celsius, rising to around 16 degrees in north-western Bohemia.