Eva Kostolanská elected Czech ombudswoman

Lawyer Eva Kostolanská has been elected as Czechia’s new ombudswoman, defeating former government human rights commissioner Klára Šimáčková Laurenčíková in a parliamentary vote on Friday.

Kostolanská, who works at the Office of the Public Defender of Rights, won 93 votes, comfortably exceeding the 87 needed for election. Her rival received 58 votes.

She will formally take office after being sworn in, replacing Stanislav Křeček, whose term has already expired.