Czech Justice Minister Pavel Blažek (ODS) has resigned from the Justice Ministry in connection with the controversial bitcoin donation case. Although he himself claims that he is not aware of any wrongdoing, he decided to resign in order not to damage the reputation of the government and the governing coalition.
The move comes after growing pressure from the opposition and doubts about the legality and ethics of accepting a gift from a person with a criminal past. The case, which has rocked the Czech political scene, is now the subject of an investigation by the High State Prosecutor's Office in Olomouc.
Pavel Blažek announced his decision on the social network X, where he said: "In agreement with Prime Minister @P_Fiala, I have decided to resign as Justice Minister. I am not aware of any illegal action. However, I do not want to damage the reputation of the government or the ruling coalition." Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS) responded to his move with appreciation: "I am convinced that Blažek acted in good faith and I respect his decision to resign."
Fiala also stressed that Blažek has made significant contributions to the modernization of Czech justice, which he said is evidenced by the recently approved amendment to the Criminal Code, which has been praised by experts and the public.
The scandal that led to Blažek's departure concerns a donation of bitcoins worth approximately CZK 1 billion that the Justice Ministry accepted from Tomáš Jiřikovský, a man convicted in 2017 of embezzlement, drug trafficking, and illegal arming. Jirikovsky, the former operator of the darknet marketplace Sheep Marketplace, was serving a nine-year sentence and sought the return of electronics, including a wallet containing bitcoins, upon his release from prison in 2021.
The cryptocurrencies, whose value has since climbed to roughly CZK 3 billion, were partially donated to the Ministry of Justice. The department under Blažek's leadership accepted the bitcoins in March 2025 and subsequently sold them at auctions for CZK 956.8 million. The proceeds were to be used to help victims of crime, fight cybercrime and develop the justice and prison services.
The High State Prosecutor's Office in Olomouc is now investigating the case on suspicion of three crimes, including abuse of authority of a public official and laundering the proceeds of crime. Police officers from the National Centre against Organised Crime are trying to determine whether the donation could have been used for money laundering.
Blažek defended himself by arguing that it has not been legally proven that the donated bitcoins came from criminal activity. He added that the ministry had informed the relevant authorities, including the Finance Ministry and the Supreme State Prosecutor's Office, about the donation, although according to iROZHLAS.cz, this happened after the donation agreement was signed. Blažek also stressed that the donation did not bring any benefits to the donor and could have been a form of penance.
gnews.cz - GH
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