Czech Justice Minister resigns over scandalous sale of bitcoins at auction

Czech Justice Minister Pavel Blažek has resigned after a wave of criticism over his ministry’s sale of bitcoins of dubious origin.

Last week, the Czech Ministry of Justice announced that it had earned nearly one billion Czech koruna (US$48.4 million) from the sale of nearly 480 bitcoins it had received from an unknown benefactor.

Blažek said that he wanted to distribute the money within the Czech justice system, for example, to victims of crime, to fight cybercrime, or to the Czech Prison Service, media reported.

But on Friday, it emerged that the bitcoins were likely donated by Tomáš Jiržikovský, who was imprisoned in 2017 for embezzlement, drug trafficking, and illegal possession of weapons.

Against this backdrop, the Czech Chief Prosecutor’s Office in Olomouc announced that it is overseeing the investigation into the bitcoins donated to the Ministry of Justice, which is already being handled by the National Center Against Organized Crime (NCOZ).

“After an agreement with Prime Minister Petr Fiala, I have decided to resign as Minister of Justice. I am not aware of committing any illegal deeds. However, I do not want to harm the reputation of the government or the ruling coalition,” Blažek wrote on his X page on May 30.

The head of the Czech government welcomed his decision, stating that he believed the minister had acted in good faith.

The previous high-profile resignation in the Czech government took place in September 2024, when Deputy Prime Minister and then-leader of the Pirate Party Ivan Bartoš left the government amid the coalition’s disastrous performance in local elections.

This led to the Pirates leaving the government, while Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský, who belonged to this political force, retained his portfolio as an independent.