News

Several hundred Czech farmers will join their European counterparts in protesting against high energy costs, cheap goods from Ukraine, stifling bureaucracy and the European Union's Green Deal at a number of border crossings on Thursday.  In the South Bohemia region, about three hundred tractors and other agricultural machinery will set off for the border in the early morning hours slowing down traffic and farmers reportedly plan to briefly block the Czech-German border crossing  in Strážne in the Prachatice region and the border crossing to Austria in Dolní Dvořiště.

Hundreds of Czech farmers drove their tractors into central Prague at the start of the week, but the Agricultural Chamber and several other farmers’ organizations distanced themselves from the protest, saying it had been hijacked by pro-Russian and anti-government figures.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský on Wednesday summoned the Russian ambassador to the Czech Republic, Alexander Zmejewski, over the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a Siberian prison. According to foreign ministry spokesman, Daniel Drake, the ambassador was summoned to explain the circumstances of Navalny’s death and the authorities’ refusal to hand over the body to his family.  A number of European countries have summoned their Russian ambassadors in connection with the case, including Germany, Britain, Italy and Poland.

Work on transforming Prague's Jiřího z Poděbrad square started on Tuesday. The reconstruction which aims to create an open green space where people can sit on the grass, on benches under the shade of trees or shop at open markets, will take close to three years and cost approximately half a billion crowns. The project should be completed in the autumn of 2026. The square should remain partly open throughout the reconstruction work with the fencing being moved as needed.

Czech authorities on Wednesday handed over to a US police escort at Prague airport Georgian national Polad Omarov, who is suspected of a number of crimes, including plotting the murder of an Iranian journalist in New York. The man was detained last January by specialists from the rapid deployment unit in Prague. Justice Minister Pavel Blažek approved his extradition and although Omarov appealed the decision it was upheld by the Constitutional Court.