In a Saturday post on the social network X, Minář informed about this, saying that he has a little good news. “Mr. Zdeněk Kettner really apologized on social networks after we sent him a pre-trial summons requesting a really formal and thorough apology. That apology is everywhere and he finally faced it, admitted his mistake and said he was sorry,” Minář said in the post.
In his own words, he is glad that when “lies and misinformation are so harsh” that it is possible to defend oneself legally.
Two good news. Mr. Zdeněk Kettner (SPD) finally publicly apologized after sending the pre-trial summons. And to make matters worse, there was also a court-enforced apology from Vojtěch Filip (KSČM). They both associated us with terrorism. It’s an unfair game and it takes time, but thank God sometimes the right wins. pic.twitter.com/by1OHSOp0p
— Mikuláš Minář (@mikulasminar_) April 11, 2026
In addition to Minář and Halík, the fake picture also shows the pro-Palestinian activist Youssef Moursi, who is standing between the two men. He was one of the first arrested and accused of the terrorist attack on the warehouse of an arms company in Pardubice on March 20, and he ended up in custody.
Kettner also shared a fake photo on his profile on March 26. However, he deleted it later in the day. “To questions about why I removed the post with the photo from the morning that I shared: Even the chatgpt check did not reveal a fake, but it was indeed an AI edited photo. I really have no need to share fake pictures and texts,” the deputy wrote on Facebook.
“I don’t know that it’s fake. So I’ll delete it again. And do you check your sources?” commented Kettner before for Deník N.
Minister of Education Robert Plaga (for ANO), who did not like the activities of his subordinate, then invited his deputy to the carpet. “According to deputy Kettner, it was a mistake, and I was assured by him that nothing like this or anything like it would happen again. I told him, however, that I consider the matter very serious and I expect from him both self-reflection and an adequate apology not only to Mikuláš Minář and Prof. Tomáš Halík, but also to the entire public,” Plaga told Novinkám after the March meeting with Kettner.
During the day, Kettner added an apology on Facebook, but only a general one: “I apologize to everyone I misled by sharing a photo that I am not the author of.” However, this was not enough for the men concerned, so they sent the deputy a pre-trial summons. They succeeded with that one.
Kettner published an apology in a post from April 7 on his Facebook profile, stating that he actually published the photo with text clarifying the identity of the people depicted on it on March 26 and then removed it as soon as he learned that it was a forgery.
“At the time the post was published, I did not know that it was a forgery, and it was not my intention to share anything false. I take seriously the impact of posts on social networks. Personally, I never publish anything that I have doubts about whether it is true. I am sincerely sorry for the whole situation and for publishing the post with the described photo, I apologize to both mentioned persons,” wrote the deputy in the text of the apology.
In his Saturday post, Minář also mentioned that the former chairman of the Communists, Vojtěch Filip, also apologized to the Milion chvilek association some time ago. Unlike Kettner, this happened only after the court ordered him to apologize.
“Years ago, he falsely accused us of a terrorist attack on a hospital in Benešov. So, two accusations of terrorism or association with terrorism and two apologies. One was enforced in court, for one a pre-trial summons was enough,” Minář added.
In December 2019, Filip indicated that the Million Moments for Democracy association could bear responsibility for the cyber attack that the Benešov hospital faced. “Now they have tried the blockade of the main railway station, they have tried a cyber terrorist attack on the hospital and so far they are getting away with it,” Filip said at the time in a speech at the KSČM central committee meeting at the association’s address.
Minář called his words a lie and sent Filip a pre-trial summons with a request for an apology. While Kettner has now responded and published an apology, Filip refused at the time and the matter only ended with a lawsuit in court. The latter subsequently confirmed the association’s truth and, according to Minář, ordered Filip to apologize.
