Karlovy Vary imam who brutally beat his wife and children for more than 10 years is behind bars

However, the regional court in Pilsen did not understand his behavior and sent the 50-year-old imam, a permanent resident of Karlovy Vary, to four and a half years in prison for chronic abuse of family members.

As a result, the original sentence imposed on him by the Karlovy Vary District Court last December was increased by one year. Judgment is final.

“He told the victim what he could and could not do. He insulted her by calling her “dirt, trash, cow”. He also beat the woman on her arms and legs with a stick, pulled her by the tie or hair. He also forbade her from talking about the upbringing of their children. The defendant invited another wife to their joint home. She had to tolerate the arrivals and lived there with them,” the charge sheet reads.

According to the file, he further trained and brutally punished four minor children. He beat them with a wooden spoon or tied them to a goat and stabbed them in the ribs for minor mistakes like not knowing the Koran.

“He instituted the command 'ishtyma', which means boarding. After this command, all children had to run to him and line up according to size. Those who came late received a few beatings with a wooden spoon,” the indictment further narrates, culminating in August 2022.

“He beat his son and daughter on all parts of the body three days in a row, forcing them to stand on one leg against a wall with their hands above their heads as punishment,” the public prosecutor pointed out.

According to the court's decision, this is completely unacceptable behavior, from the point of view of all possible cultures, lacking the basic principles of morality and decency.

“The fact that the defendant grew up in a different environment cannot be excused in any way. If he lives in the Czech Republic, it is his duty to follow the laws of that country. And their ignorance does not excuse him,” said Simona Kuboskova, president of the regional court, adding that the sentence imposed by the district court was excessively lenient.

“The accused committed abuse against five persons for a long period of time. In case of wife, for more than 10 years and in case of children, for more than six years,” the judge added.

At the same time, she emphasized that the man had no self-reflection. “If he shows remorse, he will regret himself,” Kubushkova concluded.

The victim said she married Saddam HI in 2012 shortly after converting to Islam. They have a total of five children. She admitted that the man was strict with her and blamed her for everything.

“I was worried about it, but I believed that my husband knows what is right according to faith. Even I initially agreed to him bringing a second wife, she would help me run the family. But I found out that it was only to fulfill his sexual needs,” said the 54-year-old woman. Testified.

The Karlovy Vary District Court, presided over by Senate President Petr Vošta, said the defendant was clearly still in an aggressive position and his wife was in a victim role.

“He abused his position as an imam and scholar of the faith by treating his wife in a subordinate position in which she felt that she could not handle anything and that she was dependent on him,” the original verdict said.

Experts said that the victim must have undoubtedly felt severe cruelty while cohabiting with the accused, but she did not face any fundamental resistance.

“She minimized her difficulties and became so used to the discomfort that she could have stayed in the relationship if the defendant's behavior towards the children had not exceeded the tolerable limit and she had not started to blame herself for not being able to protect her children,” the experts added.

Experts said that abused children have no one to report or seek shelter from and it is up to the father to deal with them.

“He created an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty in the family when the children did not know when and why they would be punished. They worried about each other,” the experts concluded.