Wednesday, November 8, 2000

Czech 'Alcatraz' houses horrors By Brian Hannon Mirov prison, home to the country's most notorious criminals, was once thought impervious to escape. "I don't understand how anyone could escape from this prison," said General Frantisek Fajtl, who was a political prisoner at Mirov in the 1950s. "It's such a tough penitentiary." Fajtl, a World War II fighter pilot, said that during his 17-month incarceration there was only one escape attempt -- which failed -- and that guards opened fire with machine guns at the slightest hint of trouble. "I was at Mirov about two years ago and, when I recall the place, it really surprises me that someone managed to escape," Fajtl told The Prague Post. "I guess [Jiri Kajinek] had help outside." While Kajinek's flight ruined Mirov's fame as the "Czech Alcatraz," the prison still holds about 450 of the country's most dangerous criminals. Take Ivan Roubal. Portly and bald, he looks more professorial than deadly, yet he was convicted last year of killing three people, including a man and woman strangled during a robbery. He also is suspected of murdering a taxi driver, who was found in a septic tank in 1992, and an elderly man, dumped in a pond one year later. Mirov's other lifers include Oto Biederman, the notorious leader of the Kolin crime gang who is serving a life sentence for five murders, and Zdenek Vocasek, sentenced to death in 1989 for two murders, but granted amnesty by President Vaclav Havel. Michal Sarkisov killed two people for 11 million Kc ($271,700) and Josef Pekarek raped and murdered two girls. Both are permanent Mirov residents. As of Nov. 1 the Czech Republic's 34 prisons housed 22,264 inmates, more than a quarter of whom await trial. That average -- more than 200 prisoners for every 100,000 residents in this country of 10 million -- is well above the European Union mean of 85. The employee roster of the Czech Prison Service hovers around 10,000, making it one of the larger industries in the country. Brian Hannon's e-mail address is bhannon@praguepost.cz More news stories Crime and punishment The Hollywoodesque escape of a murder convict highlights the rise of violent crime in the Czech Republic Slouf vs. Pithart: History goes to the polls Former communist and dissident fight for position in key Senate election Aristocratic sojourn Prince Charles highlights ties of Prague, London in three-day trip Temelin deal risks collapse Activists renew protests despite compromise by Zeman, Schussel Czech Republic flunks graft quiz Transparency report says corruption has shifted to new areas Changes afoot in regions Analysts say Nov. 12 regional elections key to country's future U.S. credentials in Prague CERGE-EI is first graduate school in former Soviet bloc to win U.S. accreditation Klaus logs on Ex-prime minister, a longtime Internet foe, launches Web site Czechs, Roma discover power of stories New project seeks to break racial barriers through storytelling A battle over meaning Activist, government clash over changes in wording on new Lety memorial NEWS BRIEFS