Marek Obrtel
Marek Obrtel, born 17 December 1966 in Přerov, is a Czech former military doctor and later a politician. He studied at Charles University and the Military Medical Academy, then joined the Czech Land Forces in 1999 as a medical officer. Obrtel served in the Bosnian War, the Kosovo War, and the War in Afghanistan, holding several leadership roles, including deputy commander of the Military Medical Service headquarters and chief of the 11th Field Hospital. He retired from the military in 2006 and worked as director of the Pardubice Region Medical Rescue Service and as a doctor in Moravia.
In December 2014, Obrtel publicly returned his NATO medals, arguing against NATO and the United States and expressing support for Russia and Vladimir Putin. He declared that NATO was a criminal organization and praised Russia’s stance.
In January 2015, he founded the Czechoslovak Soldiers in Reserves (CSR), a pro-Russian, right-wing paramilitary group. He later left the CSR after internal disagreements and joined the National Home Guard.
Obrtel helped lead an ultranationalist march in 2016 outside the Israeli Embassy in Prague, which ended peacefully after clashes with anti-fascist protesters. He began a political career in 2018, running on right-wing platforms but has not been elected. He ran for the Czech Senate in Prostějov with the Czech National Social Party and, in 2021, campaigned for the Parliament’s Olomouc Region with the Free Bloc. His platform emphasizes stronger military and national security, opposition to COVID-19 restrictions and what he sees as pharmaceutical influence, support for traditional families, and a move away from liberal democracy.
Obrtel lives in Rokytnice, in the Olomouc Region.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 22:55 (CET).