He visited the two Czechs, Emil Kucera and Petr Svacha, in prison in Darjeeling today. He said both of them are in "quite a good psychological condition." Kucera, 52, and Svacha, 51, were detained close to the Singalila National Park, Bangla state, on June 23 because they did not have an official permit to collect insects. Since then they have been in custody in Darjeeling.
Their case is complicated by a strike of local judiciary employees. Kmonicek said the court should decide on July 21 on the Czechs' possible release on bail. He said if the hearing were not held over the strike or if the court Most Czechs indifferent to Czech EU presidency - poll ...
Czechs donate three more helicopters to Afghanistan ... did not make any decision on the case, the Czech side would strive for the transfer of the case to Calcutta, Bangla capital, where courts function normally. Kmonicek dismissed the Indian press claim that the two Czechs may be smugglers of rare species of insect. The two entomologists have issued a statement saying they were not collecting insects in Singalila and that they did not even enter the park, Kmonicek said. Svacha is a renowned scientist from the Czech Science Academy Entomological Institute, Kmonicek, said. Kucera has published a number of works on the basis of which some 100 new species of insect have been identified, Kmonicek said. The Czech scientists have also been backed by the itnernational science community. A petition with more than 600 sigantures, mostly by scientists, demanding the Czechs' release has been addressed to the Indian prime minister.
(Ceske Noviny)
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