Miroslav Slouf, chief adviser to Prime Minister Milos Zeman, won a lawsuit against the weekly newspaper "Respekt" on 16 April, CTK reported on 18 April citing the daily "Pravo." A Prague appeals court upheld an October 2001 lower court ruling ordering the weekly newspaper to apologize to Slouf for statements it published in September and October 2000. "Respekt" had written that a visit by Zeman to the United States was cancelled because Slouf posed a security risk. The weekly also wrote that Milan Jedlicka, a Czech-American who allegedly helped with preparations for Zeman's trip, had served time in U.S. prisons for cocaine dealing and was suspected of involvement in the murder of a U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency officer. "Respekt" also wrote that Slouf was involved in "mysterious" business deals during a visit to Iraq in 2000.

(RFE/RL 18.iv.02)