Committee debates lifting immunity of Babiš (ANO) and Okamura (SPD)

A parliamentary mandate and immunity committee is debating whether to recommend lifting the immunity of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) and lower house speaker Tomio Okamura (SPD) for criminal prosecution. The committee is widely expected to advise the Chamber of Deputies not to grant the requests, with a plenary vote possible in early March.  Babiš faces charges linked to the Čapí hnízdo (a recreation and conference center) subsidy case, which he calls politically motivated. Okamura is accused of incitement to hatred over campaign posters. Both deny wrongdoing.