Czech man receives suspended term over Ukraine combat, PKK links

The High Court in Prague has upheld a ruling by a city court sentencing Czech citizen Lukáš Paškulák to a three-year suspended sentence for participating in combat operations in Ukraine and attempting to join the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is designated as a terrorist organisation, in Iraq. He was found guilty of supporting and promoting terrorism as well as serving in foreign armed forces.

According to Czech media, the indictment states that Paškulák travelled to Iraq in 2021 seeking recruitment opportunities with Kurdish YPG (People’s Protection Units) formations and the PKK, which is included on the European Union’s list of terrorist organisations.

Despite undergoing one day of training with an assault rifle and establishing contacts with the groups, he returned to the Czech Republic after ten days because he was unable to adapt to the conditions and did not know the language.

In March 2022, Paškulák travelled to Ukraine, where he joined the volunteer battalion “Carpathian Sich,” which is now integrated into the Ukrainian army. He took part in combat operations near Irpin and in the Kharkiv region until the end of April 2022, after which he returned to the Czech Republic, where he faced a potential prison sentence of up to 12 years.

Paškulák argued that his actions were motivated by a desire to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia and by concerns about threats to Czech national security. He also said he expected an amnesty for Czech volunteers, which he claimed had been promised by then-Prime Minister Petr Fiala. Paškulák maintained that he never used weapons in combat and primarily operated a drone used to locate Russian positions.

However, on February 17, the court rejected his arguments, stating that political declarations cannot be taken into account under criminal law. The appellate court also noted that Paškulák’s motives “were not entirely pure,” adding that although the judge considered the sentence could have been harsher, prosecutors did not appeal the original verdict.

By Tamilla Hasanova