Supreme Court head comes out in defense of embattled Judge Fremr

The verdicts in pre-1989 trials of emigres who fled communist Czechoslovakia cannot be evaluated as a personal or professional failure of the judges in question, according to Supreme Court President Petr Angyalossy. According to Angyalossy under communism it was practically impossible to acquit emigrants of the charges against them, even in view of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which the judges could not take into account. Angyalossy made the statement in connection with the stalled appointment of Judge Robert Fremr to the Constitutional Court after it emerged that he had handed down over 150 such verdicts.

Czech President Petr Pavel has requested more information on Judge Robert Fremr from the country's security archives, before making up his mind whether to go ahead with the appointment. Judge Fremr hismself has said he may not accept the post so as to avoid further controversy over his person.