This document, dated October 21, 1979, is a joint statement issued by Charter 77, the Committee for the Defense of the Unjustly Prosecuted (VONS), and the Polish Committee for Social Self-Defense (KSS-KOR). It concerns the imminent trial of six prominent Czechoslovak dissidents: Otka Bednářová, Václav Benda, Jiří Dienstbier, Václav Havel, Dana Němcová, and Petr Uhl. The activists were charged with subversion of the republic due to their human rights activities. The statement highlights that the Czechoslovak government proceeded with the trial despite widespread international condemnation and calls for the release of those imprisoned for their convictions. The signatories label the proceedings illegal and an attack on defenders of human rights. Regardless of the court's verdict, the trial is characterized as a moral victory for the accused. Furthermore, the organizations reaffirm their commitment to defending human dignity and supporting all persecuted individuals in both Czechoslovakia and Poland. The declaration was signed by Charter 77 spokespeople and representatives of the Polish and Czech defense committees on the eve of the trial.
Ladislav Hejdánek – Jiří Hájek – Zdena Tominová: Dokument Charty 77 č. 119
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◆ dokument of Charter 77, Czech, origin: 21. 10. 1979
- in: Charta 77: Dokumenty 1977–1989. Svazek 1, Praha: Ústav pro soudobé dějiny, 2007, p. 275