Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PRAGUE (AP) — Czech President Milos Zeman has used his power to pardon a man convicted of a double contract murder.
Jiri Kajinek was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1998 for the murders he committed in 1993. Kajinek pleaded not guilty.
Tuesday's release of the 56-year-old was criticized by some politicians and legal experts but a majority of the public seemed to agree, according to a recent poll.
Zeman argued there were doubts about the conviction. Critics said he wanted to gain popularity ahead of the presidential election early next year as he plans to seek re-election.
Some unexplained questions about the case still remained. A 2010 feature movie "Kajinek" contributed to his popularity.
Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka called Kajinek "a negative figure."
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.