know that the • Soviet-sponsored Organisation, embracing lawyers USSR, Hungary, Germany including the Justice of Romania!
The trial was a complete non-event from a legal point of view. Of more lasting concern to the regime is the fact that it has also proved to be a political non-starter: its purpose was to break the VONS and the Charter, however high the political price might It has now paid the price but the trial has not delivered the goods: the next day, leaders of Charter 77 and VONS made it perfectly clear that civil rights movement would continue. Investigation The most vigorous reactions to the Prague trial have come from the of and Canada movement Charter committees have been active since the carrying out activities on the same lines as the British Charter 77 Defence Committee: stimulating protests and appeals movement organisations for immediate release of the Chartists financial aid families of the accused, and helping to alert socialist lawyers to the affair. An important part in all this activity has played by members of Fourth International.
With the encouragement of a resolution from Eric Heffer that was passed unanimously by the Labour Party NEC end of July, a Charter 77 Defence Fund has been se up to help the families of political prisoners in Czechoslovakia. Already it has raised over £400.
But the most important single step has been the decision of the Labour Party NEC last week to approach the French, Italian European Socials, parties, European establish a fact-finding commission to go to Czechoslovakia to investigate the civil rights situation there.
Cold War This resolution is an unprecedented effort to West European parties. As a positive initiative to gain an objective picture of the undistorted by the propaganda of the Cold War lobbies, these facts to workers in Europe, the fact-finding commission could be a major factor in pushing the Western Czechoslovak regime to either make Labour concessions or expose its anti-workdefence ing class character.
The immediate solidarity movement demand the dropping of the charges labour the Saturday 10 November 10amto 6pm the Group.
Films, Kurdish food
and Spanish along parties, tions suppression achieve collaboration representative Communisi facts, and to present present defence London focus will be Race London SWI:
DAYSCHOOLONIRANAND KURDISTAN Speakers include: Stuart Holland MP, Martin von Bruissen, Kurdish and Iranian speakers, and a speaker from the Iranian Women's Solidarity Organised by Committee to Defend Democratic Rights in Iran