Pirates urge government to let Polish women have abortions in the Czech Republic

Prague, Oct 26 (CTK) - The Czech opposition party, the Pirates, have called on the cabinet to let Polish women undergo abortion in Czech health facilities after the Polish Constitutional Court outlawed the performance of abortion due to fetal defects.

"If possible, the Czech Republic should provide maximum support in providing medical care to the women whose country's government has denied them the freedom of choice," Pirate MP Frantisek Kopriva said.

Until now, the Polish abortion law allowed for abortion if the fetus had a serious defect, if the pregnancy endangered the life or health of the mother and if the child arose from a rape or incest.

Critics say the latest court ruling practically means a complete ban on legal abortions in Poland, a Catholic state where a fetal defect has been the most frequent cause of legal abortions amid the otherwise tough abortion law.

The Polish court decision amounts to curtailing human rights, and Czechia should not turn a blind eye to it, he said.

Women must have the right to decide on their own body and must have a chance to choose whether to undergo abortion, Kopriva said.

"A health and legal system that denies the right of choice directly endangers its population. Based on the abortion statistics, we know that a ban does not lead to a decrease in abortions. A ban only forces women to undergo dangerous and inexpert illegal treatment," Kopriva said.

Over the weekend, protesters of multiple nationalities descended on the Polish embassy in Prague in response to the legislation.

Candles and signs in both the Polish and English languages were left at the entrance to the Polish embassy on Prague's Valdštejnská street throughout Saturday and Sunday, as local protestors sought to draw attention to what many see as a giant step back for women’s rights.