06.05.2020, Prague.
Information about a Russian agent who arrived to the Czech Republic to poison local politicians is a lie aimed at destroying diplomatic relations between the two countries, said military analyst Jaroslav Štefec, according to Parlamentní listy of May 5.
Štefec explained that accusing one state by another of organizing the murder of its own politician is too obvious a reason for a political crisis for this information not to have consequences.
According to the expert, the Prague publication Respekt, which contained information, which supposedly had obtained from the Czech secret services, is too unsubstantive of a publication for the secret services to distribute such information through it. Moreover, the Czech Security and Information Service (BIS) did not confirm the information in any way.
If information had leaked from the Czech security services, the entire editorial staff of Respekt would have been interrogated, because for special agencies is extremely important to track sources of leaks within their ranks, said Štefec. At the same time, it would also not be a question of protecting the source of the publication, since such a leak has serious international implications to the state, the analyst explained.
“To accuse a state of organizing a murder in another country, with regard to international law and diplomacy, is completely insane, that would have been unimaginable a couple of years ago. Therefore, I am absolutely sure that we are dealing with fake news or simply with a lie,” stated Yaroslav Štefec.
Most likely, the information provided is a step in the direction of a dramatic deterioration in diplomatic relations between Russia and the Czech Republic, an expulsion of the Russian Ambassador and downsizing of the diplomatic staff in Prague should be the next step, the expert believes.
The main goal, according to the analyst, is to worsen economic ties between the Czech Republic and Russia, especially in the energy sector. The expert cited the example of Ukraine, which now buys Russian gas, but not in Russia, but in Poland, although it is the same gas.
The Prague newspaper Respekt disseminated information allegedly obtained from the special services, according to which three weeks ago a Russian agent arrived to Prague, who was supposed to poison local politicians Ondřej Kolář and Zdeněk Hřib with ricin.
Ondřej Kolář is the chief of the Prague 6 district, who was among those who pushed for the demolition of the monument to Soviet Marshal Ivan Stepanovich Konev in Prague. Zdeněk Hřib is Prague’s mayor. For the demolition of the monument, a felony case has been opened against him in Russia for the “Rehabilitation of Nazism”.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
