Czech mercenary sentenced to 21 years in prison for fighting in Ukraine — report
The Prague
Municipal Court has sentenced Czech national Alojz Polak to 21 years in
prison for fighting on Russia’s side in the invasion of Ukraine, news agency
Ceske Noviny reported on Sept. 1. He was sentenced in absentia, being treated
as a fugitive.
A resident of Brno, Polak served as a sniper and is believed to have killed at least four members of the Ukrainian military, according to investigators. The prosecution had initially sought a 25-year sentence.
Polak's lawyer immediately appealed the verdict, saying that his client is likely deceased.
This marks the third time the case has been reviewed in court. The court has again found Polak guilty of terrorism and involvement with a terrorist group. In previous trials, he was always sentenced to 20 years imprisonment, but the charges did not involve murdering people and were mostly based on Polak’s Facebook posts. However, the current charges have been substantiated by expert military analysis and image metadata.
In December 2016, Polak left Prague for Ukrainian territories controlled by the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic. He initially worked as a sniper but later served as a platoon sergeant. Polak was very active on Facebook, but he ceased posting in April 2022 after publishing a photo of a tank at a gas station in Donetsk.
If the sentence becomes final and Polak returns to the Czech Republic in the future, he will have the opportunity to request a new review of his case.
Prior to this ruling, several people in the Czech Republic who fought alongside Russian forces in Ukraine since 2014 have received prison sentences.
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