President Zeman refuses to promote BIS head Koudelka to rank of general yet again

President Miloš Zeman will not raise the head of the country’s counter-intelligence service BIS Michal Koudelka to the rank of general on the anniversary of Czechoslovakia’s founding. The president made his intention clear in response to a question from the daily Mlada fronta Dnes. He said he would comply with the government’s proposal as regards all other nominees.

The president, who has been highly critical of the work of the counter-intelligence service in highlighting the activities of Russian and Chinese agents on Czech territory, has refused to raise Michal Koudelka to the rank of general four times in the past.

Other nominees on the government’s list are Police President Jan Švejdar and the head of the Prison Service Petr Dohnal.