Z is for EZ retirement

Pavel Křivka, a 65-year-old former politician, was given a two-year suspended sentence by Pardubice District Court for supporting Russian aggression. His crime was walking around town in a T-shirt emblazoned with the Russian war sign Z. He proclaims his innocence and has the chance to appeal, but his case could have broader social implications. Not in terms of free speech, but in terms of retirement planning. Lonely elderly women in Japan have been shoplifting or committing other petty crimes so they can get a warm bed, food, medical care and companionship in prison. Some of them don't want their time inside to ever run out. This situation exists in the CR as well (and has since Austria-Hungary), but it's mainly the domain of truly homeless people with few other options. As times get tougher and places in retirement homes get scarcer and more expensive, the attractiveness of a Czech prison cell will increase. And repeatedly putting on a Z will be one of the easiest ways to get there.