Czech man who joined Russian army now asking for diplomatic help

Czech diplomacy is dealing with the case of a Czech man who recently travelled to Russia, where he joined the army, and who is now requesting assistance from Czech authorities. The case was announced on Tuesday by Foreign Ministry spokesman Daniel Drake. The ministry reiterated its long-standing strong warning against travelling to Russia and urged remaining Czech citizens to leave the country.

Czech citizens are prohibited from serving in a foreign army, except, for example, when fighting on the side of a state ensuring common defence in the event of an attack on Czechia itself. To do so, they must apply to the President of the Republic for an exemption. In this case, the Foreign Ministry will proceed in accordance with Czech laws and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.