TEN key leaders of the Charter 77 civil rights movement were arrested at 5am on 29 May by the Czech political police. The following day, two of the three official spolespersons Charter 77, along with the editor of the Charler information bulletin and a leading representative of the Czech CHIuROCE ROLnu Charter, were charged with subversion.
Subversion The gravest charge has been brought against Charter information bulletin editor Petr Uhi. He has been accused of subversion of a dan 2 of character sub-section 2 article 98 of tbe Czech criminal code.
This charge carries a minimum of three years and a maximum of ten years in jail.
The same change, but of a less serious kind" (sub-section 1), carrying the threat of sentences between one and fate yeree babet ta r irl against three Chartists, Dienstbier, Vaclav Benda and Dana Nemicova.
Those arrested represent a range of different political and ideological currents within the Charter. message is: if you are an activist you will not be safe, whether you are a Trotskyist or a Catholic.
Petr Uhl has openly expressed his political sympathy International, and has compared the demands in the Charter 77 appeal to chose in the Transitional Programme, in the sense that they get people movingIrau's Prime Minister, Hazargan the tactical to bc opposition prominent journalists within the party tor CAUS continuine the tractons The could "Eurocommunist".
Vaclav philosopher and secretary arrested are members.
figure in the underground, Expulsion The Czechoslovak The Charler Savala.
fortheoming trial with the Fourth the Chartists' could not defend the accused.
Uhl has made many contributions political discussons which nave taken place inside the Charter, and has recently contributed to a book on the East Euronenn civi rishis inovensent S0OB published by the Polish KSS-KOR.
Jiri Dienstbier was one of the most working for Prague Radio in 1968, He was sacked from his job and expelled from the OpPosIon Fo (the post-invasion 'normalisation regime.
He is a supporter of the tendency within the Charter which sees itself as De coüte party edetipd 15described Benda is a Cathalic Commilterto Delend Those Unrustiv Prosecuted (VONS), of which all the Dana Nemcova is a well-known Czech cultural a movement which involves hundreds of young Czech workers and has repeatedly been the target of repression by the police, authorities have been encouraged by the poor response to the jaling of another spokesperson, Jaroslav The regime also prepared for the by getting the official Lawyers association to capel couragcous defence Lawyer Dr Josef Darise, so that be The arrests have had almost no publicity in the bourgeois press. After all the hoo-ha around the Helgrade détente conference last year, Western verments bo crest in the whole human rig business, since it no longer serves their inmediate need to put diplomatic pressure on the Soviet government.
The fate of the Charter movement verefore depends greatly upon th esponse of th Western movements to these latest arrests, The the TUC and the CPGB have all expressed their solidarity with Charter 77. Now they must turn words into deeds:
• They must demand the Immediate release of those Chartists who have been arrested.
• They must prepare to send their own official representatives to any trial that taker place.
They must circulate memberships on this attempt to crush the Charter and urge their members to send telegrams of protest to the Crechoslovak government.
They LIUSE demand the immediate reinstatemeut of Charter lawyer Josel Danisz.
• They should raise a fund to help the families of those in jail.
They should cancel official interchanges of delegations between themselves and Czechoslovak official BERBE EEROUS, until the authorities show in action relcasing these (hartists and the others at present in jail — that they will allow the Charter to operate. It is not possibie for the left in this country to be in solidarity both with Charter 77 and with its jailers.
Both the Committee in Defence of Czechoslovak Socialists the lost labour their Trunsitional Progrumme meantime the largest possible number telegrams should Czechoslovak Erbassy, 25 Kensington Palace Gardens, London W8 The sent to:
Upper Street, Czech forwarding to the Charter in Prague.
by Messages of solidurity can also be sent to: Anna Sabatova, Prague 2, Czechoslovakia.
STOP PRESS:
Charter activists_ Jarmila Belikova, Jiri Nemec, and Otta Bednarova been charged with subversion under sub-section 1. PETR UHL — he's compared Charter 77's demands to those of the Press movement protest OC SCUT TO TOI Press/Inprecor Copies of all such protests should *CeCondn nel London for Anglicka 8, Four other Vaclav Havel.
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So the government has opled tor a closed
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Eastern Europe Solidarity Campaign will be taking up the cuse.