One year in prison for throwing a stone. The ruling comes as police in the Czech Republic face growing international scrutiny. For the most part, Czech officials have shrugged off accusations of police wrongdoing. One Czech legislator says the police should have opened fire on the demonstrators.
Polls show significant support for giving police rubber bullets at future demonstrations.
Nevertheless, a special Interior Ministry inspection unit has been ordered to investigate police behavior. But it doesn't seem to be too interested in the task. Of the more than 320 complaints filed, the ministry is probing only four cases. One case involves Byengju Jeong, an assistant professor at Prague's Charles University, who found himself trapped between two police cordons on September 26. Jeong was detained for 24 hours.