Court halts prosecution of former police officer in assault case

A Prague district court has ruled that former police officer Tomas Cermak did not commit a crime during an incident last year involving himself and Katerina Jacques, then head of the Government Office human rights section, now MP for the Green Party. On Friday the court ruled to halt Mr Cermak's prosecution. The state attorney has filed a complaint against the verdict with a higher-instance court. A May Day neo-Nazi demonstration in Prague in 2006 saw conflict ensue between police monitoring the event and several Green Party members including Mrs Jacques, there to protest the rally. Images of Mr Cermak subduing Jacques were caught on tape. The officer was dismissed from the police force and charged with abuse of power of a public official, bodily harm and restriction of personal freedom.