Czech police has opened criminal proceedings against former leaders of Czechoslovakia. Former Czechoslovak Prime Minister Lubomir Strougal, former Secretary General of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia Miloš Jakeš, and former Czechoslovak Interior Minister Vratislav Vajnar are accused of abuse of power, DW reported referring to a statement from the Czech Bureau for Documentation and Investigation of Crimes of Communism.

It is all about the use of weapons on the Czechoslovak borders in the 1970-1980s. From March 1976 to the end of 1989, nine people trying to cross the border were shot and killed by border guards, and at least seven were injured.

Persons involved in the cases regularly received information about such incidents due to their posts, but did not take measures to prevent tragic incidents, the report noted. When proving their guilt, Strougal, Jakeš and Vajnar face 2 to 10 years in prison.