President Petr Pavel, who is a retired army general himself, has stopped the prosecution of four Czech soldiers connected to a 2018 incident in Afghanistan, according to a statement released by Prague Castle.
In October 2018, a soldier from the Afghan security forces allegedly opened fire at the Shindand base in Herat province. The attacker killed Corporal Tomáš Procházka and seriously injured two other Czech soldiers of the Czech Afghanistan Contingent.
The Taliban later said it was behind the shooting, part of a series of insider attacks that occurred that year.
Coalition forces detained the shooter, 19-year-old Wahidullah Khan, shortly after the incident. Reports stated that U.S. and Czech troops beat him during detention. They then returned him, unconscious, to Afghan authorities. He died soon after. These events triggered an investigation into the Czech soldiers’ actions.
Prosecutors later charged members of the 601st Special Operations Forces Group with extortion, insubordination, failure to perform guard duties, and failure to provide medical aid.
Corporal Tomáš Procházka was posthumously promoted to the rank of staff warrant officer. The Ministry of Defence also awarded him the State Defence Cross for his service.
The president’s office explained that Pavel reviewed the full case before making his decision. He considered the difficult wartime conditions, the nature of the charges, and the international context. The office also noted that the investigation had lasted nearly seven years.
The Prime Minister co-signed the decision, as required by law.
Photo credit: instagram / 601skupinaspecialnichsil
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