Kadrman does not have to apologize for criticizing the destruction of the Kyselka spa

Ing. Martin J. Kadrman, Vice President of ASORKD

Prague - The High Court in Prague has definitively ruled that the Vice President of the Association of Associations for the Protection and Development of Cultural Heritage in the Czech Republic, Martin Kadrman, does not have to apologize to the head of Karlovy Vary Mineral Waters (KMV), Alessandro Pasquale, for critical statements regarding the deterioration of the Kyselka spa. The court on Tuesday dismissed Pasquale's appeal against a similar ruling by the Hradec Králové District Court from last July. CTK was informed about this today by the spokesman for the High Court, Jan Fořt.
    According to the spokesman, the court confirmed the previous ruling of the Pardubice branch of the Regional Court in Hradec Králové. "Confirmed by the judgment," Fořt added without further details.
    Pasquale sought 100,000 crowns in damages for alleged harm to his reputation. Kadrman stated that he was touched by Pasquale's statement on the radio that "Mr. Pasquale asked the Deputy Minister of Culture whether, as a citizen of the Swiss Confederation, these (Czech) laws also apply to him." "Pasquale is also unhappy with the claim that C.T.S - Duo, which owned the Kyselka spa from 2006 to 2013, was a front for KMV," Kadrman told CTK.
    "The contested statements by Kadrman are false. They do not deviate in any way from his typical fabrications and manipulations. It is a pity that the court did not examine their truthfulness for procedural reasons," said KMV's media representative, Michal Donath, to CTK. The High Court reportedly stated, among other things, that the lawsuit should have been directed at the association. Pasquale insists on an apology and is considering further legal action, according to Donath.
    KMV and the association are involved in a series of legal disputes regarding Kyselka. The area of the former spa has been deteriorating since its privatization in the early 1990s, and while several plans for its restoration emerged over time, none have been realized. The association claims that Karlovy Vary Mineral Waters bears at least moral responsibility for the current condition of the buildings. The company denies this.
    Another lawsuit from Pasquale was largely dismissed by the City Court in Prague last October. It also concerned criticism of the devastation of the spa. However, the association must remove from its website the statement that Pasquale is "cattle." According to Donath, the association has not fulfilled this obligation. "As part of enforcing the court's ruling, a fine of 35,000 crowns and the obligation to cover the costs of the enforcement proceedings have already been imposed by the judicial executor JUDr. Juraj Podkonický," Donath added.
    However, Kadrman claims that the association only received a court summons this Tuesday, stating that the ruling became legally binding at the beginning of January, which he was not aware of until now. "We will still take the text down from the internet today; we have no problem with that," Kadrman added. Pasquale has appealed part of the city court's ruling, so the High Court will still address the case.
    KMV owns six historic buildings in Kyselka, while the majority of the other properties were owned by the Revitalization Investment Company, which transferred them to the non-profit organization Kyselka Spa. The company aims to save the valuable and monument-protected buildings and utilize them meaningfully.
    KMV previously stated on its website that the area of the former spa in Kyselka has never belonged to them. They own the Löschner Pavilion, the Stallburg building, the former Hotel Praha, and the former office buildings. All are allegedly being reconstructed in accordance with the requirements of conservation authorities. KMV opened new apartments in Stallburg at the end of March, and they plan to have a museum in the Löschner building by autumn. The company claims that it has invested over 65 million crowns in the renovations.