DISCRIMINATION OF FOREIGNERS BY RFE/RL IN CZECH REPUBLIC?

On October 8, the oldest Czech national nespaper Lidove noviny has published the article by Leonid Panov on national discrimination against foreign emloyees by the American Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and related lawsuits brought by Armenian journalist Anna Karapetian and Snjezana Pelivan, a Croatian, whose case is already submitted to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Below is Leonid Panov's article translated from Czech into English.
After the Prague Spring was tamed by Soviet tanks, the Armenian Radio Yerevan that existed in jokes only was asked the question: "What country is the most neutral in the world?" "Czechoslovakia", answered the non-existing radio, "It does not interfere even in its own internal affaires". Today, the same answer to the same question could be given by very real American Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) broadcasting from Prague.
Could be but would not. Management of U.S. Congress-funded RFE/RL, with the Secretary of State serving on its Board of Directors, does not feel like answering inquiries by Czech and foreign journalists as to why that American radio has in Czech Republic discriminative employment policies directly contradicting Czech labor legislation.
Anna Karapetian, an Armenian journalist whose employment with RFE/RL was terminated after twelve years of impeccable service - without any prior warning or corrective measures, any severance for the years served, and without any reason given to her - unsuccessfully seeks protection in Czech courts. The courts decided that her terminations is acceptable in Czech Republic, for it does not contradict American laws. Karapetian's case is still pending in Czech Supreme court, which previously, in the analogous case of Croatian citizen Snjezana Pelivan, supported the decisions of lower courts that American Radio may use American laws in Czech Republic. Pelivan's case has been already handled also by Constitutional court. Legislative sovereignty of American RFE/RL in Czech Republic was confirmed. What about Czech sovereignty?
In 1995, RFE/RL moved to Prague from Munich where it observed German employment laws. Presently, RFE/RL has 19 foreign bureaus where under equal protection of national labor laws work local nationals as well as foreigners. The exception is made for Czech Republic only. There is just one problem: American laws and court jurisdiction are valid only for U.S. citizens but not for the foreigners employed by American institution outside the United States. At the insistence of Czech trade unions, a Czech RFE/RL personnel is protected by Czech Labor Code.
Ruling by Czech Constitutional court in case of Pelivan, which practically predetermines future decision of the Supreme court also in Karapetian's lawsuit, places several hundred foreign RFE/RL employees in total legal vacuum without court protection.
The very same date when President Obama at wee hours notified the head of Czech government that American antimissile radar in Czech Republic is passe, European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg registered the Charge against Czech Republic submitted by Snjezana Pelivan. Czech Republic is accused of tolerating national discrimination against foreigners employed by American RFE/RL and violating their right to fair trial. Ruling by Czech Constitutional court in her case v. RFE/RL she characterizes as "legal nonsense unacceptable in member state to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms". Mrs. Pelivan has asked the European Court to invite the government of Croatia to take part in her lawsuit against Czech Republic.
Evidently, it will not take long before similar charge against Czech Republic comes to Strasbourg also from Anna Karapetian. Complaisant hospitality can be costly - to the host. Of 144 cases against Czech Republic tried by the Court in Strasbourg Prague won only four. Such are the statistics.
Leonid Panov, Journalist

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DISCRIMINATION OF FOREIGNERS BY RFE/RL IN CZECH REPUBLIC?
Leonid Panov, Journalist
On October 8, the oldest Czech national nespaper Lidove noviny has published the article by Leonid Panov on national discrimination against foreign emloyees by the American Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty ...