US embassy cable - 05PRAGUE1588

UNCLAS PRAGUE 001588 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR G/TIP, G, INL, DLR, PRM, IWI, EUR/NCE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB, EZ, KCRM, KWMN, PHUM, PREL, SOCI 
SUBJECT:  CZECH PARLIAMENT AGAIN REJECTS LEGALIZATION OF 
PROSTITUTION 
 
REF: A. PRAGUE 0474 
 
1. The lower house of the Czech Parliament has rejected a 
bill that would have paved the way for the legal regulation 
of prostitution in the Czech Republic. The proposal would 
have permitted the GOCR to withdraw from the International 
Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and 
the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others. Withdrawal 
from the convention is a precondition to a bill legalizing 
and regulating prostitution, which repeated governments have 
tried to advance. The proposal enjoyed the support of the 
Social Democrat-led government. Prostitution in the Czech 
Republic is currently unregulated and it is neither 
explicitly proscribed nor permitted. Both pimping and 
trafficking in persons for the purpose of prostitution, 
however, are illegal under Czech law. 
 
2. The proposal failed by a vote of 64-26 in the Chamber of 
Deputies with 
only 90 of the 200 members of the body even voting on the 
measure. Opposition 
to the plan united both conservative and left-wing parties, 
as the Christian 
Democrats, a junior member of the ruling coalition, broke 
ranks with the 
government and joined opposition Civic Democrats, and the 
Communist Party to 
defeat the bill. Asked one Christian Democrat Deputy during 
the debate, "Do we 
really want Prague to turn into one huge European brothel?" 
 
3. This is the second time this year Parliament has rejected 
the government proposal 
(reftel). Observers predict that the government will not try 
again prior to 
elections scheduled for next June. 
 
4. COMMENT. Though clearly a positive development, the defeat 
of legalized 
prostitution still leaves the sex trade in a highly ambiguous 
position in a 
country where trafficking in persons remains a problem. 
Although the Czechs are 
clearly unwilling to legalize prostitution, there is also 
little will to adopt 
more stringent steps to criminalize the practice. END COMMENT 
 
CABANISS