With the start of the new year, the dissemination and support of communist ideologies in the Czech Republic will be punishable by law. An amendment to Section 403 of the Criminal Code provides for prison sentences of one to five years for violations.
At the beginning of the year, a long-debated law comes into force, prohibiting the dissemination and support of communism as well as the use of its symbols. Opponents hail the measure as long overdue. In December, the Constitutional Court (ÚS) rejected a request by the extra-parliamentary Communist Party (KSČ) to annul part of the amendment.
In future, statements about and the dissemination of communist ideologies will be treated in the same way as those of National Socialism – the two major totalitarian ideologies of the 20th century.
In the amended version of Section 403, which President Petr Pavel signed in mid-July, it is now explicitly stated that ‘movements aimed at suppressing human rights and freedoms’ include not only National Socialism but also Communism. Anyone who propagates, supports, or attempts to establish such a movement can be punished with up to five years’ imprisonment.
What will no longer be permitted
From 1 January 2026, the public use of communist symbols will be punishable if intended to disseminate or support the ideology. The hammer and sickle, the red star, as well as portraits of Lenin, Gottwald, or Fidel Castro may be legally relevant if actively displayed as an expression of support for the communist movement.
The same applies to flags, posters, T-shirts, banners, or the names of organisations explicitly adhering to an ideology that seeks to suppress fundamental rights. Singing “The Internationale”, the anthem of the socialist labour movement, public gatherings with clearly ideological content, or online posts promoting communist movements will also fall under the Criminal Code.
The amendment thus makes clear what history has long shown: a system that suppresses freedom cannot be justified by tradition or nostalgia.
