Czech ambassador to Indonesia questioned over Islamic raids: report

The Czech ambassador to Indonesia, Tomáš Smetánka, was summoned to the country’s foreign ministry to explain the circumstances surrounding Czech police raids on Islamic sites in Prague last week, the Jakarta Post newspaper has reported. It cited a text message from foreign minister Marty Natalegawa as its source of information. Indonesians, including the embassy’s social and culture secretary, were among those apprehended when police swooped during Friday prayers. One person was charged by police with propagating hate crime. Czech minister of interior Marcel Chovanec has called for a police investigation into the incident, saying the timing was insensitive and excessive force appeared to have been used.

Author: Chris Johnstone