In a week that saw protests in Paris, London and several European capitals against Covid lockdowns and mandatory vaccine regimens, the Czech Republic's constitution has been changed to ensure citizens have the right to bear arms in self-defense.
After being approved by the Senate on Wednesday, the country's Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms will now contain a provision stating that “the right to defend one’s own life or the life of another person with a weapon is guaranteed under the conditions laid down by law.”
As part of the former Czechoslovakia, the Czech Republic was under communist rule for more than 40 years. It emerged from that rule in 1990. As a result a large proportion of the populations still remember how things were.
A total of 54 of the 74 senators voted to amend the charter, surpassing the needed three-fifths majority of votes. It will become law once signed by President Milos Zeman, a strong supporter of gun rights.
Zeman had previously called for a European "Second Amendment" along American lines, to deter terrorists.
“The level of international crime is growing because of Islamic terrorism,” he told the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in late 2017. “I am open and frank, and I do not use the phrase ‘Islamic terrorism’ lightly but, in the overwhelming majority of cases, it has Islamic origin. It is connected with genocide in Armenia.”
Zeman added: “What can we do against international criminality? Invest in the police, invest in the army, and have the courage to invest in our own guns. My wife has a pistol. Of course, she passed all necessary tests, but now I am guarded by my wife, and not only by bodyguards.”
The authors of the new addition to the Czech Republic constitution said its goal is to prevent the right to bear arms in self-defense from being restricted by common European Union (EU) law. Supporters say it will also strengthen the Czech Republic's position in talks on further EU regulations.
"Excessive regulation of legally-owned weapons makes no sense and leads to an increase in the number of illegally-owned arms," lower house defense committee chairwoman Jana Černochová stated.
“The proposal is not only symbolic in nature but can also serve as insurance for the future,” said Senator Martin Červíček.
Červíček pointed to the tendency of some EU countries to ban carrying any objects that could be used as a weapon. According to Červíček, the disarmament of the population will not bring greater security, as criminals will obtain weapons illegally.
The validity of gun licenses remains ten years. Police must check whether the license holder still meets legal conditions, largely health criteria, once every five years.
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