Charter 77 Adherents Fight

Fierce repression from Coechosloew okies ruling clique bag hit dise protest= from arvend tae workd, Tour the @itecks have sol stopped the Charber from fuiting mew support in Ceschosiovalcia iteell, tnitially sigted by 242 intellectuals and mepgerters of the former Dubrek Tene tousted by Howiel oad Warke Pact troops in 1368) Lhe Charter hea new been sipoed by ab leat an aiklitienal BOR people, il wna bun Febroary 4, The document Eata demecralir rights vindbed by the Husak pigifoe, calling for cheervance of guaranties: in tha Hiedwink! accords and the country's eorci#tetion Charter 77, the document maiaa, "ls mM. an or pallties! opposition work, it seeks to mere he al imterests os do many similar mmociatinea, both eat end west. Tk dora not fnleed tn... propose changes. bot within ita pphere to carer on 6 constructive dinkque ith (he atate auchoritses. bn particular it wll seek bode this by drawing attention to the verted conceele cases of violacion of human ed rivil rights.”

The Caarter's wits Le thus a “dierpesine” Father than building a clear-cut oppeeion to the boreauereey.

Porth: Cocch bureaucracy. boewever, Lhia makes no . Any opposilion it a threat to their peditics] monsenly, Ge tho initia) reaction to Charter Ty's appairanca wae mass arresia. Qwer WH) sipparbera were detained in the finest few weeke of January, Meet were released] shortly after, birt sot before inbecroymlinns, searched and ennfiseattone oof omanceripts, lecters and echer maLerals, Eran afer polos, Caorter (tora fu hatexvent and re-arrest. gE figures wack an ro Parel Kohut were invite! bo lve the country. A few hewe been charged under the acetion of the Conmitutien duaiag wih treason, redsing the specie of palltieal franeup trials Sumultexewesiy. the regime launched a eampeig of crude Stalinist, dandera te discredit Charter agers. Ther were labelled “hankropt politicians”, “bourgeois degener ates”, “haists'. and a0 ok A ‘pontansous’ preteal eiatemest was oes leached, whieh fndividuek were bold bo iotben willinul having aeen the statement) or Shik listing their jobs, Bar the huresucracy's campaign baeklirfi subjecting iL to growing tenerneticnal provest ond inbernal dimsent, Up theca | for their own purposes, at Internaticaally, the ruling class bas tebe course, They want te tie ths as anccher example od the undemerrwiin mature od support im the workers movement pod progenies quarters. While a few hard-line Sieiniet Communist Parti lineluding the (aniian ©} continua co deieainc: the Charter, (ie major Weatern European CPs Save heen forced ta speak out against. the Pepressinn, Charter 77 has also recefved political wepport frem the Polish Commitiew to Defend the Workers sei op after ihe Fepriaion hil werkers in chet country whe critical links Ietween opposition fore: in Famer Europe. Despite the iereasing repression che mane politiesliy scwaneoil Polish Committe: hea enticed Ha work Hillesting money for jailed or fired workers. C's rewing support bas sparked oppasitios in olker Eastern Eurapman ecuntrica, As a result of the peatesls, the Oreck reg fae hax been paaciriiabtip sober = Under an upeoming Delerade conkeronen as diese imran inbermat preavore linchelin fplemenietion of tae Helsink! acoomdal anil Greg proving interal boellity linduding from hondrede of thowsands of CP treemlnare expelled eller [B68] the hysterteal rantings again, Charter TT have been toed down.

Anew public campaign haa begun, erassing Ube “preast accomplishments’ of Sardalism” while “stodgy eel Feturn co ~ the pices oof the | fiflexh of Gicreaship eebeomie orablesa, é0nilnued capreain of diesdents, apd moat ipernity. developing oppositional our Teas thaawighowl Eealern Gorope, PF. AIGHTING ALE

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