Many Czech lawmakers support Ukraine – MP Hayato Okamura

A large number of members of the lower house of the Czech parliament believe it is necessary to support Ukraine and Ukrainian war refugees.

In a comment to Ukrinform, Hayato Okamura, a member of the Chamber of Deputies representing the opposition Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People's Party (KDU-CSL), said he was firmly convinced that there was a large group of lawmakers in the current Chamber of Deputies who support Ukrainians and Ukraine.

Okamura also stressed that as a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, he and his colleagues would do everything possible to ensure that Ukrainians would have nothing to fear in the Czech Republic.

He noted that he and his family personally support Ukrainians, including by sending money for humanitarian aid. Last week, the lawmaker said he had taken part in expert conferences in the Senate of the Czech Republic marking the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion, visited an exhibition of icons painted on ammunition boxes, and joined a large demonstration in Prague in support of Ukraine together with his wife Ludmila and their son Albert.

Okamura added that his family has five adult children and that three of them – two sons and a daughter – would celebrate their birthdays this week. He said that when he asked them what they wanted as gifts, two of them replied that their present would be for him to send money in support of Ukraine. The politician is the older brother of Tomio Okamura, the head of the Czech Chamber of Deputies, who has repeatedly made anti-Ukrainian statements.

It was previously reported that in his New Year's address, Tomio Okamura sharply criticized Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelensky, and expressed the wish that the country would never become a member of the European Union. These remarks prompted reactions from Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk, Ukraine's Ambassador to the Czech Republic Vasyl Zvarych, and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine summoned the Czech charge d'affaires over what it called unacceptable statements by the speaker of the lower house of the Czech parliament.

Meanwhile, the concerned committee of the Czech lower house has said it will not recommend that the Chamber of Deputies lift parliamentary immunity to allow criminal prosecution of Prime Minister Andrej Babis and Speaker Tomio Okamura. The lower chamber may consider the issue on March 5.

The Mandate and Immunity Committee of the Czech Chamber of Deputies reviewed the situation concerning Babis for the fourth time – over economic allegations – and the case concerning Okamura for the second time, as he is accused of inciting interethnic hatred. Both politicians say the accusations amount to political persecution.