Prague criminal investigators from the Department of Extremism and Terrorism have completed their investigation into a case of threatening letters addressed to Czech politicians. A 70-year-old man from the Prachatice region, whose name has not been released by police, has been charged with the crime of threatening to influence an official person. The case has been handed over to the District Prosecutor's Office for Prague 1 with a proposal to file charges.
The accused sent dozens of threatening letters to prominent political figures, including Czech President Petr Pavel, the chair of the Chamber of Deputies, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, Czech Defence Minister Jana Černochová, and MEP and Senator Miroslava Němcová. The letters contained vulgar insults and serious threats, such as being stabbed with a knife, sent to the gas chamber or shot.
Crime investigators were able to identify the suspect thanks to media coverage of the case, when a witness recognized the man in footage published on television. When questioned, the accused did not confess to the crime, so expert reports were commissioned in the fields of language and handwriting. The Military Police also cooperated with the investigation. The letters were sent from the South Bohemia region, which helped the police to narrow down the circle of suspects. The offender faces up to three years in prison for the crime of threatening.
Similar cases:
- In 2020, police investigated a case of anonymous e-mail threats addressed to then-Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and Health Minister Adam Vojtěch. The threats included threats of physical violence, including death threats, and were motivated by dissatisfaction with government measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. The individual was from the Moravian-Silesian region. The perpetrator was charged with the offence of dangerous threats and sentenced to a suspended prison sentence of one year with a two-year probationary period.
- In 2022, a Senator of the Czech Republic (the victim's name was not specified, but he was a member of the Senate from the Pilsen region) received several anonymous letters threatening to kill him. The threats were linked to his political positions, in particular his support for foreign policy. The letters contained threats of physical violence and were sent by post. The identity of the perpetrator was revealed by DNA analysis of the envelopes and postage stamps. The name of the perpetrator was not disclosed, but he was a middle-aged man from Plzeň. The perpetrator was charged with the offence of making dangerous threats and sentenced to one year's imprisonment without parole.
- In 2023, a member of the Chamber of Deputies (mentioned in the media as a member of the ruling coalition, specifically from the ODS, but no name was given) received a series of threatening messages via social networks, in particular via the X platform. The messages included threats of physical violence and insults related to her political activities, specifically her support for foreign aid. The police identified the perpetrators by analysing the IP address and the user's social network account. The name of the perpetrator was not disclosed, but he was a younger man from Prague. The perpetrator was charged with misdemeanours of disorderly conduct and dangerous threats. The case ended in court with a suspended sentence of 18 months.
Similar cases are more common abroad. In Germany, for example, after attacks on politicians such as Matthias Ecke (SPD) in Dresden in 2024, or the data leaks of politician Janine Wissler in 2020, police raids against the authors of hate posts have intensified, such as the raid on 170 properties in June 2025. The Interior Ministry has subsequently proposed tougher punishments and better privacy protections for politicians.
In France, threats against politicians, such as Bron Mayor Jérémie Bréaud in 2020, who faced beheadings, are dealt with through police protection and investigation by the gendarmerie, often in the context of racism or protests, such as after the death of Adama Traoré. In the UK, police are investigating threats against politicians, particularly following the murders of MPs Jo Cox (2016) and David Amess (2021), with a focus on cyber threats and extremist motivations, putting in place measures such as increased protection and analysis of online threats.
Policie.cz/gnews.cz - GH
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