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Peter Trulock, a former deputy secretary of state and former ambassador to Paris, has repeatedly circulated statements labeled as Russian propaganda in the past. At the same time, he worked as a senior researcher at the Institute of International Relations (ÚMV) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Last January, ÚMV fired Trulock due to necessary restructuring. However, the Prague Municipal Court of Appeal on Wednesday upheld the declaration as invalid. writes Message server.
According to the ÚMV, Trulak was dismissed due to “budget stabilization”. “Professor Trulak's position was canceled based on the organizational change we had to make in order to consolidate the budget,” Ondřej Ditrych, director of the Institute of International Relations (ÚMV), told Seznam Zprávám last year.
Still, Trulock says it's a purposeful move. During his time at the ÚMV, the former ambassador received two letters of reprimand due to his statements, through which, according to director Dittrich, he “spread conspiracy stories”. So Trulock decided to defend himself against being stopped in court. His lawyer, Senator Jana Swirtek Hamblová, a well-known figure in the Czech disinformation scene, represented him in the case.
The Institute of International Relations insists that the layoffs were due to lack of funds. “Despite the organizational change and other cost-saving measures, ÚMV is unfortunately managing a small loss, which it covers from the reserve fund. We consider it important to stress that the court's decision is not based on probity. Trulak opposed the need for ÚMV's actions,” said V. Declaration UMV.
The District Court for Prague 1 ruled that the notice was invalid in October last year. The Prague Municipal Court has now upheld his decision. Hambloa for the Parliamentary Papers Server She sharedIt was “not only a legal victory but also a moral victory”.
