Condolence Letter on Kim Jong-il's Death Lands Czech Communist Leader in Trouble

The leader of the Communist Party in Bohemia and Moravia (two regions of several which comprise the Czech Republic) Vojt?ch Filip, is reportedly facing a police investigation, over a letter of condolence sent to North Korea on the occasion of the death of the country's ruler, Kim Jong-il.

Filip has been accused of breaking a law that prohibits the support or endorsement of movements or nations that oppress human rights and freedom. He is believed to have said, in his message, the North Korean tyrant sacrificed himself for the well-being of the (North) Korean people and added that he hoped the Workers Party would overcome its grief and would again lead the (North) Korean people's struggle for the defense of socialism.

The letter has stirred up quite a controversy in the Czech Republic, with the country's Minister for Justice calling for an investigation to confirm the possibility of Filip having broken the law by sending an official letter approving of the North Korean dictatorship.

The Czech Republic, ranked the third most peaceful country in Europe (as per the Global Peace Index) and the most democratic in the region (as per the Democracy Index), mandates up to three years in prison for violating its anti-authoritarian law.

Filip justified sending the letter saying that North Korea maintained diplomatic ties with the nation and the message only stuck to the conventions of a condolence letter.