Czech news in brief for May 25: Sunday’s top headlines

Czech lawmakers are set to vote on a major criminal law reform this week, aiming to reduce prison populations and cut state costs. The bill prioritizes alternative sentences and decriminalizes some offenses. Parliament will also decide on education reforms, divorce law changes, and procedural rules for expert witnesses. The chamber faces a packed agenda, with multiple bills up for debate and votes across three sessions.

Five Czech players will compete on the opening day of the French Open today. Tomáš Macháč faces France’s Quentin Halys, while Petra Kvitová returns to Grand Slam action against Viktorija Golubic. Linda Nosková meets Russia’s Anastasia Potapova, Vít Kopřiva debuts against Brazil’s Thiago Monteiro, and Sára Bejlek faces Ukraine’s Marta Kosťuk. The tournament runs in Paris until June 9.

A 49-year-old man was injured after being attacked by a female bear with two cubs in Sučany, Slovakia, on Saturday. He was hospitalized with multiple injuries, Slovak officials said. Authorities are monitoring the area, which was recently the site of another bear incident. Slovakia has about 1,200 wild bears, and the government has approved culling 350 problem animals after recent attacks on humans.

Emil Filla’s Head of a Man with a Pipe sold for CZK 25.048 million at a Prague auction on Saturday, marking the artist’s third-most expensive work ever sold in Czechia. The 1915 portrait, from Filla’s Dutch period, exceeded its starting bid of CZK 14 million. The auction also saw a Kubišta painting fetch over CZK 28 million, with 78 percent of lots sold and total sales surpassing 107 million crowns.

Dozens gathered at Prague’s Vypich on Saturday to mark the 1945 return of the Czechoslovak armored brigade, with military displays and a convoy re-enactment. The brigade, formed in Britain, fought at Dunkirk but could not liberate Czechoslovakia due to political constraints. It returned two weeks after the war’s end, symbolizing the recognition of Czech soldiers who fought in Allied uniforms.

Law students from Prague’s Charles University won the Helga Pedersen Moot Court Competition, a top human rights contest held at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, the court announced Friday. The Czech team defeated Spain’s IE University in a simulated case on medicinal cannabis and human rights. The annual competition involves students from across Europe and is organized by the Council of Europe and ELSA.

Justice Minister Pavel Blažek received a special award for his contribution to Czech justice at the Lawyer of the Year ceremony in Brno, the Czech Bar Association said. The award cited Blažek’s efforts to improve communication with professional institutions and support for free legal aid. Winners in other categories included notary Pavel Bernard, Supreme Court judge Věra Kurková, and Supreme Administrative Court judge Michal Bobek.