On December 21, 2020, a gunman opened fire at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, killing 14 people and injuring 25. The attack has been described as the worst mass shooting in the Czech Republic in decades, and mourners have left a sea of candles outside the university to grieve for the victims. The Czech government is working to implement stricter gun control laws to prevent such tragedies from happening again.
Posts tagged as “the Czech Republic”
Police in Prague have confirmed a shooting in a university building, resulting in several dead and dozens of wounded people. The gunman has been eliminated, and authorities have urged people to remain indoors while they evacuate the area. Details about the shooting are still unknown, but more information is expected to be released soon.
Alsu Kurmasheva, an editor with Radio Free Europe-Radio Liberty's Tatar-Bashkir service, has been detained in Russia and charged with failing to register as a foreign agent. The U.S. Embassy in Moscow has expressed concern over the detention and the Committee to Protect Journalists has called for her immediate release. This is the latest in a series of incidents targeting journalists in Russia, which has seen a crackdown on press freedom in recent years.
Marketa Vondrousova made history as the first unseeded woman to win Wimbledon in 60 years, defeating Ons Jabeur from Tunisia in a 6-4, 6-4 victory. She is the only Arab woman and only North African woman to make it to the singles finals at any Grand Slam tournament, and her victory comes after a difficult year with a cast on her surgically repaired left wrist. Vondrousova managed to come back and win the last four games of the first set and the last three games of the second, and expressed her joy during the trophy ceremony.
Czech Republic midfielder Jakub Jankto has become one of the few openly out active international men's soccer players after posting a video on social media announcing that he is gay. He expressed a desire to live without fear, violence, or prejudice, and was met with widespread support from the soccer community. His announcement is hoped to encourage more athletes to be open and honest about their sexuality.
Austrian police arrested a 54-year-old man on Monday after he attacked two social workers with pepper spray when they arrived to investigate reports of a family living illegally in a wine cellar. The social workers found the man living with a woman and six children, aged from 7 months to 5 years old. The man was arrested and the woman and children were taken to a safe location.
Three men have been charged with money laundering and murder-for-hire in a plot to kill an Iranian American author and activist, Masih Alinejad. The U.S. Department of Justice has indicted Rafat Amirov, Polad Omarov, and Khalid Mehdiyev in the Southern District of New York, and all three are currently in custody. Alinejad has been a vocal advocate for women’s rights in Iran and her courage in the face of danger has been an example to all.