Czech authorities explained why not all citizens are allowed to fight alongside Ukraine.

In 2024, 109 citizens appealed to the President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, requesting permission to participate in the war against Russia alongside Ukraine. However, due to unfavorable assessments from the ministries of defense, interior, and foreign affairs, two-thirds of these requests were denied.

https://hromadske.ua/ru/voyna/237354-v-chehii-obyasnili-pochemu-ne-vsem-cheham-razreshayut-voevat-na-storone-ukrainy2025-01-06 09:22:20

This is reported by iRozhlas citing the spokesperson for the Czech president, Filip Platosh.

Only 40 citizens of the Czech Republic have received permission to go to war against Russia, while 74 applications were denied. Among those who wished to fight on the side of Ukraine were three women, as well as individuals who submitted applications multiple times.

A representative of Pavel explained that applications are initially submitted to the Ministry of Defense, which may not recommend to the president granting permission for service on the side of Ukraine to former military personnel who remain in reserve or those who have previously completed basic military service.

However, exceptions may be made for individuals with dual citizenship or those wishing to serve in one of the NATO armies.

The Czech Ministry of Defense consults with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Interior before submitting selected candidates for the president's approval.

“As a rule, we assess applications from the perspective of criminal law, for example, whether they are individuals who have been prosecuted, convicted, and so on. Or from the perspective of service activity, meaning whether they are employees of law enforcement agencies. In such cases, we do not recommend granting consent,” previously stated the Ministry of Interior representative Ondřej Kratoška.

During his time in office, Petr Pavel received applications for permission to fight against Russia from 181 citizens. Overall, he approved 60 applications that received positive assessments from all three ministries.

It should be noted that according to Czech law, citizens are prohibited from serving in foreign armed forces without special permission from the president.

At the same time, at the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala publicly stated that there would be no punishment for citizens who travel to fight in Ukraine.

One of these volunteers, Filip Siman, was convicted in his homeland for looting during combat operations. He was also accused of not obtaining permission from Pavel, but was later acquitted, citing the words of Prime Minister Fiala, who promised no punishment.