photo: pirati.cz

Olga Richterová, Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, has won a lawsuit against the ultra-conservative organization "Alliance for the Family." The Prague High Court ruled definitively in her favor, upholding a previous court decision. The organization sued Richterová for a statement made during a television debate, where she questioned its funding and pointed out that the organization's rhetoric, particularly regarding LGBT rights, often sounds very similar to the rhetoric of Russian dictator Putin. The court previously stated that freedom of speech should only be restricted in exceptional cases where there is no other option, and it reaffirmed that this comparison was generally reasonable within the context of the right to criticize.

"No one should be afraid to ask questions. Especially not those who are influential and active in the public sphere. I asked Mr. Gregor, Deputy Chairman of the Alliance for the Family, during a CNN Prima News debate, who funds the Alliance for the Family? And then all hell broke loose. They filed a lawsuit against me, trying to intimidate me. But they won't intimidate us," said Olga Richterová, Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, describing the beginning of the lawsuit, which today ended with a final ruling in her favor. "I didn't and don't ask these questions for any whimsical reason, but because this organization actively influences public opinion, collaborates with ultra-conservative groups, and these groups in other countries are linked to funding from Russia. And I ask because this organization speaks with the same voice as Putin on LGBT issues. And that is dangerous, especially at a time when Russia is at war with Ukraine and is trying to divide Europeans in every possible way," she added.

The "Alliance for the Family" has long been a vocal opponent of equal rights for same-sex couples. For example, they lobbied for a change to the Constitution that would define marriage exclusively as a union between a man and a woman, a position strongly opposed by the Pirate Party. The sole purpose of this change is to make it more difficult for people to achieve equality. The organization also gained public attention due to statements made by its chairwoman, Jana Jochová, who downplayed the importance of women's suffrage, suggesting that if she had a husband, as she does now, why couldn't he exercise her voting rights on her behalf. She also made a shocking statement, viewing the World Health Organization's decision to remove homosexuality from the list of diseases as a political matter.

The decision of the Prague High Court, with its final ruling, once again confirmed that it is acceptable to point out the Putin-esque and controversial statements made by the "Alliance for the Family," and that it is acceptable to question their funding. The organization may appeal to the Supreme Court.

pirati.cz-none/gnews.cz-roz_07

„Nikdo by se neměl bát zeptat”. Olga Richterová vyhrála precedentní spor o svobodu slova. Žalobu, kterou na ni podala Aliance pro rodinu, Vrchní soud v Praze pravomocně zamítl
„Nikdo by se neměl bát zeptat”. Olga Richterová vyhrála precedentní spor o svobodu slova. Žalobu, kterou na ni podala Aliance pro rodinu, Vrchní soud v Praze pravomocně zamítl
Olga Richterová, místopředsedkyně Poslanecké sněmovny, vyhrála soudní spor s ultrakonzervativním spolkem Aliance pro rodinu. Rozhodl o tom pravomocně Vrchní soud v Praze a potvrdil tak i dřívější soudní rozhodnutí. Spolek Richterovou neúspěšně žaloval za výrok v televizní debatě, kde se dotazovala na jeho nejasné financování a upozorňovala na to, že narativ, který Aliance pro rodinu zejména v oblasti LGBT práv říká, mnohdy vyznívá velmi podobně jako narativ ruského diktátora Putina. Soud dříve konstatoval, že do svobody projevu by se mělo zasahovat pouze výjimečně v případech, kdy neexistuje jiná volba a i nyní potvrdil, že je tento příměr obecně v rámci práva na kritiku přiměřený.