Appeals court overturns suspended sentence over Nazi-themed merchandise

An appeals court has overturned a three-year suspended sentence given to publisher Emerich Drtina for selling mugs, T-shirts and other items featuring Nazi figures. The Prague Municipal Court ruled the case does not constitute a criminal offence and referred it to a local authority for possible misdemeanour proceedings. Drtina had been convicted last year of promoting a movement aimed at suppressing human rights. Prosecutors said his company, Naše vojsko, sold thousands of items depicting figures such as Adolf Hitler and Heinrich Himmler. The court had argued the products targeted neo-Nazi sympathisers, while Drtina maintained they were intended for collectors and denied any wrongdoing.