Czech President Vaclav Klaus has written a letter to his Zambian counterpart Michael Sata that was conveyed by a special Czech envoy, voicing his conviction that the three Czechs detained in Lusaka did not plan any crime, he told journalists.
Klaus wrote he hopes that the case will be assessed quickly and justly.
The Czech tourists were caught photographing military barracks and an air base in Lusaka in October. They were arrested on suspicion of espionage. They face up to 25 years in prison, if found guilty. They have dismissed the accusations.
After a week in prison, they were released on bail but they cannot leave Zambia.
Klaus wrote he has been closely watching the case of the three Czech men, Jiri Cetl, Jan Coufal and Michal Veber.
“I, the government, the Foreign Ministry have tried to intervene somehow. We eventually decided to send deputy (foreign minister Vladimir) Galuska with my personal letter to the Zambian President,” Klaus said.
Galuska told CTK he met several senior officials and handed the letter to Sata.
“I had the impression that the matter will be cleared up and that they will be able to leave for home,” Galuska said.
He also met the Czechs in Zambia and found out that they are in a good physical as well psychical condition, he said,
Klaus wrote that accusations were levelled against the three as they photographed buildings and objects on public display, some of which accidentally found themselves in military and government buildings’ vicinity.
Based on detailed information Klaus has received since the beginning of this unfortunate incident, he wrote, he would like to express his conviction that the three Czechs did not intend to commit any crime, but only wanted to photograph a training aircraft made in the Czech Republic, that was accidentally on display in a public area.
Galuska went to Lusaka as a special envoy of Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg.
Klaus wrote this reflects the highest level of attention the Czech government pays to the case.
He said he personally supports Galuska’s mission.
Klaus also praised the approach of the Zambian authorities that provided relevant information about the case’s development to Czech ambassador Ludek Zahradnicek.
[CZECH NEWS AGENCY]
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The photographing public buildings espionage law must be scrapped.
There is a thing called Google these days
Whoever is concerned, please re-assess the situation. I use Google Earth to access almost any building in the world. Google Earth allows us to see objects up to about six meters distance. My Brother and sisters think again.
Why do whites get arrested in an African state. Dont get me wrong no one is above the law, but this is like me standing in the middle of the road and stopping a presidential convoy, or a civilian beating up a policeman and getting away with it
Yes it is possible but it does not make sense, and those cell/Prisions in zambia have lices, aids is rampant, no sanitation, no toilets, nothing.
I woud say on behalf of Nick and myself, the czech and the sanity of all this, please release them
Thanks
Google earth takes me everywhere except that its behind by yrs. ( deliberately   of-course for security reasons).Â
PLEASE I NEED TO KNOW…I HEARD SOMETHING VERY DISTURBING,
DOES MICHAEL SATA HAVE CHILDREN WITH BLOOD SISTERS?????
Good timing; KLAUS writes to SANTA.
# 7…very funny!!!
Yet again if this matter was very important to them they would have sent someone more senior than a deputy minister, a junior cabinet minister to OUR PRESIDENT! No respect whatsoever!!!
# 8. No! Don’t get it twisted.
Sending a Deputy Minister is the highest level in a matter of international diplomacy concerning a few individuals’ release. The letter itself is written by the President.We just have to release the three tourists and scrap these primitive laws on photographs.
@6 like you said it is disturbing. There is no such a thing my dear (from a reliable source). Why do you think you only heard it now that he is president? It’s just people trying to bring him down but he is still strong. Remember they were even saying he is not fit for Presindency?
This is sad indeed. Firstly our barracks are never secure, with entry points almost on each ares of the wire fence. E.G. Arrakan in Lusaka, how can we call that a security installation when foot paths are all over. I would have thought these should be removed to far placed away from the eyes of civilians like mikango, Tag Hagan, Gonda etc. not in the middle of the city and you expect tourists not to take photographs? Shame on these mother…kers!
WASTE OF TIME. WHAT MILITARY SECRETS COULD ZAMBIA POSSIBLY HAS.
Mmm? So who are these Czech guys? Any military backgrounds? Their President seems to care a bit too much
archaic laws. The one who should have been arrested should have been FTJ (MHSRIP) for revealing the secret escape tunnels at state house. That was a serious breach of security. Let me ask this, wouldnt you want to photograph something that was made in zambia thats on display in a foreign country? its called national pride. The reasons these guys were arrested are baseless. And who would they have been spying for? Zambia has an obsolete arsenal which cant even match most of our neighbours. We are a peace loving country that doesnt believe in war and has helped many an african country. So why all this nonsensical banter! LET MY PEOPLE GO! as the saying goes. Sata please dispense with this shameful thing. Should take a president to write you to see this is a nonsense case.
I smell a rat,we nid 2 punish dis guys PERIOD!
Pa Zed, have you tried google earth over the White House? Try it, then we can talk. Just check the date of the image you will get. Have you guys seen a Czech p prison cell?