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The Committee for the Defence of the Unjustly Prosecuted

Illustration
  • Where: Václav Havel Library, Ostrovní 13, Prague 110 00
  • When: October 22, 2014, 19:00 – 21:00

How the Committee for the Defence of the Unjustly Prosecuted arose, how it worked, who created it, who it defended and how the trial of its members went. The Committee was founded by a group of Charter 77 signatories in 1978. Among other activities, its members provided legal, financial and other aid to political prisoners and filed requests for redress with the Czechoslovak authorities.

Many members were harassed and imprisoned for their activities. The best known trial took place on 22 and 23 October 1979, when Petr Uhl, Václav Havel, Václav Benda, Otta Bednářová, Jiří Dienstbier and Dana Němcová were convicted. The trial brought huge international shame on the communist regime, while other activists replaced those who had been arrested.

Kamila Bendová, a participant in events at the time, will give a talk on the anniversary of the trial.

Photo (c) moderni-dejiny.cz

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