Supreme Court Rejects Babiš Appeal
The Czech Supreme Court has rejected an appeal filed by opposition leader Andrej Babiš, cementing a definitive legal requirement for the former prime minister to formally apologize to Hana Malurová, the wife of former Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura.
Supreme Court spokeswoman Gabriela Tomíčková confirmed the decision to ČTK without providing additional details.
The Parliamentary Clash in Opava
The high-stakes judicial battle centers on remarks Babiš made inside the Chamber of Deputies while he was still serving as an opposition lawmaker, where he accused Stanjura of funneling the municipal budget of Opava through his spouse. According to reporting from iDNES.cz, the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the appeal leaves the lower court’s ruling completely intact, preserving the obligation for Babiš to issue a clear retraction.
During the sporný projev, Babiš accused Stanjura of lying, stating: A vy jste nám tady mohl vyprávět jako elektrotechnik o tom, jak se tuneluje rozpočet Opavy přes vaši manželku, to jste tam mohl vyprávět.
The situation in the session hall required a brief interruption of the debate, immediately after which Babiš offered his first apology. Zbyňka Stanjury, paní Mgr.
Drawing the Line on Parliamentary Indemnity
The protracted legal dispute explored the delicate boundaries between political free speech and personal protection. Novinky reported that the Prague Municipal Court previously established that parliamentary indemnity does not grant politicians a blank check to disseminate falsehoods about private individuals.
The Prague Municipal Court ruled that Oprávněnou kritikou veřejně činné osoby není uvádění nepravdivých údajů o této osobě nebo hodnotících soudů z těchto údajů vycházejících. Ochrany osobnosti se mohou domáhat v uvedeném případě i politici. Tím spíš to pak platí pro osoby, které politiky nejsou.
@AndrejBabis opět neuspěl u soudu kvůli lžím. Tentokrát bez důkazů obvinil mou ženu z tunelování rozpočtu Opavy. Zatáhl tak do politického boje rodinu svého soupeře. Za své lži se musel podle pravomocného rozsudku omluvit. @Nejvyssisoud jeho dovolání teď na podzim odmítl jako…
Ani poslanecký mandát není bianko šek ke lhaní. Jsem rád, že se manželka nenechala zastrašit a bránila se,
Stanjura stated on the social media platform X, as covered by Novinky, adding that Babiš had unfairly dragged his family into the political arena.
Stanjura also noted: Zlu se nemá ustupovat!
and Andrej Babiš opět neuspěl u soudu kvůli lžím. Tentokrát bez důkazů obvinil mou ženu z tunelování rozpočtu Opavy.
A Track Record of Court-Ordered Retractions
The legal fallout has required Babiš to issue multiple corrections across his political career for contentious statements directed at rivals. Novinky noted that the former premier previously faced similar court-ordered retractions involving prominent figures such as former Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek and investigative journalist Pavla Holcová. The Prague Municipal Court decided in May 2023 that Babiš had to apologize to investigative journalist and Investigace.cz editor-in-chief Pavla Holcová for a Facebook post, after which Babiš apologized on Facebook in August 2023 and the Supreme Court rejected his appeal.
Furthermore, the Constitutional Court rejected Babiš’s complaint against a Supreme Court judgment that forced him to apologize to former TOP 09 politician Miroslav Kalousek for claiming Kalousek stole from the Ministry of Defence and zabil lidi cez padáky
while serving as a deputy minister. Babiš currently faces a lawsuit from the internet company Seznam over 12 statements.
Babiš May File a Constitutional Complaint
While the full written justification from the Supreme Court has not yet appeared in the public database, Babiš retains the theoretical option of filing a constitutional complaint. The current ruling, however, reinforces judicial limits on political rhetoric inside the Czech parliament.
