Civic Democrat chairman slams National Security Council

The head of the opposition Civic Democrats Petr Fiala has slammed the National Security Council over information reported in the media that an alleged six million crown ransom was paid for the release of two Czech women held in Pakistan last year. Antonie Chrástecká and Hana Humpálová were released last March after two years of captivity. At the time, Interior Minister Milan Chovanec denied that any negotiations were held or ransom paid to the kidnappers, believed to be linked to al-Qaeda. In its most recent issue, the weekly Respekt claims otherwise. Petr Fiala criticised not the ransom but the leak of information, which – in his view – could put other Czechs at risk in the future.

Author: Jan Velinger