Who will decide on musician Mejla Hlavsa's rehabilitation? Case goes to High Court

The Prague Municipal Court has deferred a decision on the rehabilitation of musician Milan "Mejla" Hlavsa to the High Court in Prague. The case hinges on whether Hlavsa, a co-founder of the iconic Czech band The Plastic People of the Universe, was unlawfully imprisoned in 1978.

The municipal court sought the High Court's intervention to settle a dispute over jurisdiction. This legal maneuver aims to clarify which court possesses the authority to review the circumstances of Hlavsa's detention and potentially overturn the original verdict.

The Plastic People of the Universe were a prominent figure in Czechoslovakia's underground music scene during the communist era. Their artistic expression often clashed with the regime, leading to persecution of its members. Hlavsa's case highlights the lingering questions surrounding state actions against artists during that period.