Supreme Court rules suspect in highly publicized vandalism case should be released

The Supreme Court has cancelled a 100-day prison sentence that a former bus driver was handed for defacing public property. The man will be released from prison effective immediately. However, a decision on the case is still pending.

Roman Smetana, a former public transport worker from Olomouc, had added feelers to politicians’ heads on campaign posters and refused to pay a fine for doing so. In early May, Justice Minister Jiří Pospíšil filed a complaint in the man’s favor and appealed to the court to cancel its verdict. He said that it is up to the court to decide whether the defacing of political campaign posters, of which Mr Smetana was found guilty, was a criminal offense or merely a misdemeanor.