photo: pirati.cz
Olga Richterová, Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, won a court case against the ultra-conservative Alliance for the Family. The High Court in Prague has now ruled on the matter, confirming an earlier court decision. The association had unsuccessfully sued Richter for a statement she made in a TV debate, where she questioned its obscure funding and pointed out that the narrative of the Alliance for the Family, especially in the area of LGBT rights, often sounds very similar to that of Russian dictator Putin. The Court has previously held that freedom of expression should only be interfered with in exceptional circumstances where there is no other choice, and has now confirmed that this reasoning is generally appropriate in the context of the right to criticise.
"No one should be afraid to ask. Especially not those who are influential and public figures. So I asked Mr Gregor, the vice-president of the Alliance for the Family, in a debate on CNN Prima News, who funds the Alliance for the Family? And a fight broke out. They sued me, they wanted to intimidate me. But they won't intimidate us," says Olga Richterová, the Deputy Speaker of the House, describing the beginning of the lawsuit, which ended today with a final judgment in her favour. "I did not ask and do not ask about these things on a whim, but because this association actively influences public opinion, cooperates with ultra-conservative associations, and these associations in other countries are also connected to Russian funding. And I am asking because this group speaks with the same voice as Putin when it comes to LGBT views. And that, especially at a time when Russia is waging war in Ukraine and trying to divide Europeans in every possible way, is simply dangerous." He adds.
The Alliance for the Family has long been an opponent of equal rights for same-sex couples, among other things. For example, it lobbied for an amendment to the Constitution to enshrine marriage exclusively as a union between a man and a woman, which the Pirates vehemently oppose. The sole purpose of this change is to make it harder for people to achieve equality. The association has also made its mark on the public consciousness with the statements of its chairwoman, Jana Jochová, who downplayed the importance of women's right to vote, saying that if she had a husband like she has now, why should he not exercise the right to vote for her. She also made the outrageous statement that she saw the World Health Organisation's decision to remove homosexuality from the list of diseases as a political issue.
The High Court in Prague's final ruling reaffirmed that it is OK to draw attention to the controversial Putin-sounding statements of the Alliance for the Family and that it is OK to ask about their funding. The association can still use an appeal to the Supreme Court.
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