Justice minister fires head of regional prosecutors

The Czech justice minister, Jiří Pospíšil, fired the head of a regional prosecution authority on Tuesday after he refused to reinstate a subordinate he had sacked for criticizing the way the institution worked. Jiří Křivanec, the head of state prosecution in Ústí nad Labem, northern Bohemia, fired one of his prosecutors, Adam Bašný, earlier this month for having criticized the prosecution’s role in the case of the former deputy PM Jiří Čunek who was acquitted on charges of fraud last year. Mr Bašný’s sacking provoked an outcry from fellow prosecutors and other professionals. Minister Pospíšil said he had no choice but to sack the chief regional prosecutor because he refused to reinstate his former subordinate.