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The head of the Czech Communist Party has hit out against a planned visit to Prague by members of Ukraine’s Azov brigade on Wednesday. Kateřina Konečná said in an open letter to the foreign minister, Jan Lipavský, that the military unit represented the “worst of Ukrainian nationalism and neo-Nazism”.

For his part, Mr. Lipavský said that reading the letter he had wondered for which state Ms. Konečná had been elected. He said that if anyone was emulating the Nazis, it was Russia.

The BBC reported last month that the US had lifted a ban on weapons supplies and training to the Azov brigade, "whose origins were mired in controversy over alleged links to far-right groups".

President Petr Pavel has issued four pardons, the first since he took office in March last year. The Office of the President said on Tuesday that the head of state had granted pardons to two mothers of minors, a foreigner long resident in Czechia and a Czech sentenced to 17 years in another country for drug smuggling.

Under the previous president, Miloš Zeman, the power of clemency was transferred to the Ministry of Justice. However, President Pavel took that right back at the start of this year.

The Office of the President has received over 700 requests for pardons since the beginning of 2024.

Czech swimmer Barbora Seemanová finished sixth in the women’s 200m freestyle at the Olympic Games in Paris. Seemanová, who was the only European in Monday night’s final, also finished sixth at the previous Olympics in Tokyo. The 24-year-old said it was a solid result but she was disappointed at not setting a new personal record.

Earlier slalom canoeist Lukáš Rohan also finished sixth in Paris, failing to equal the bronze medal he earned three years go.

Czech tennis player Barbora Krejčíková has advanced to the round of 16 in the women’s singles at the Olympic Games in Paris. The recent Wimbledon champion, who is 28, overcame Wang Xinyu of China 6-3 6-2 with relative ease in their second round tie at Roland Garros on Monday.