Chronology of Key Events

April 27, 1978 Declaration of the foundation of the Committee for the Defence of the Unjustly Persecuted made public

Declaration of the foundation of the Committee for the Defence of the Unjustly Persecuted, source: Libiri prohibiti

March 29, 1979 Albert Černý arrested by the State Security Service (Státní bezpečnost, abbreviated StB, the Communist secret police force). On November 27, 1979, he was sentenced to three and a half years imprisonment unconditionally by the Regional Court (Krajský soud) in Brno

VONS Communique No. 97, source: Libri prohibiti

May 29, 1979 StB undertook a major police action against VONS members, subsequently ten of them were arrested and taken into custody

Prague´s Dozen - ten members of VONS were arrested, source: Libri prohibiti

June 19, 1979 VONS released a communiqué publishing the names of new members

VONS Communique No. 117, source: Libri prohibiti

September 11, 1979 Joint criminal proceedings against Jarmila Bělínková, Ladislav Lis, Václav Malý and Jiří Němec were stopped (they were released from custody on December 22, 1979, criminal charges were finally withdrawn at the end of 1989)

Letter of Andrej Sacharov to support of VONS, October 24, 1979. source: Libri prohibiti

October 22-23, 1979 Trial of six indicted members of VONS at the Municipal Court (Městský soud) in Prague (Petr Uhl sentenced to 5 years, Václav Havel to 4 and a half years, Václav Benda to 4 years, Jiří Dientsbier and Otta Bednářová each received 3 years unconditionally, Dana Němcová was given a conditional 2 year sentence suspended for 5 years; the convictions were confirmed by the Highest Court (Nejvyšší soud) of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic on December 20, 1979)

Trial of six indicted members of VONS - theater drama in Munchen, source: Libri prohibiti

February 14, 1980 Rudolf Battěk arrested (subsequently he spent more than 5 years in prison; subsequently, other members of VONS were given unconditional prison sentences or spent several months in custody, including Ladislav Lis, Jan Litomský, Petr Pospíchal and Jan and Jiří Ruml)

Rudolf Battěk, photo: Jiří Bednář, source: Libri prohibiti

November 18, 1984 VONS member Ladislav Lis elected vice-chairman of the International Human Rights Federation (Fédération Internationale des Droits l´Home - FIDH)

VONS Communique No. 409 - Ladislav Lis is vice-chairman of the IHRF, source: Libri prohibiti

December 15, 1986 The category of the file on Josef Danisz (agent of the 10th Directorate of the SNB, the National Security Corps, codenamed ‘Lenka’, later also ‘Anna’) in the file registration protocol of the operational files of the counter-intelligence headquarters of the StB was amended

The category of the file on Josef Danisz (agent of the 10th Directorate of the SNB, the National Security Corps, codenamed ‘Lenka’, later also ‘Anna’), source: ABS

April 1987 The 10th Directorate of the SNB ascertained that Věra Vránová had been identified as an StB collaborator by some members of VONS

The report of the 10th Directorate of the SNB about the disclosure of Věra Vránová, source: ABS

December 10, 1988 VONS co-organised the demonstration held on Škroupovo náměstí (it also participated in the convening of several other public rallies)

The Newsletter about the demonstrations against regime on October 28, 1988, source: Libri prohibiti

January 3, 1991 VONS registered as a civic association

Návrh VONS pro OF na předložení požadavku propuštění politických vězňů, zdroj: Libri prohibiti

1993 Petr Uhl and Anna Šabatová left VONS

Rudé právo, February 19, 1993 - Petr Uhl and Anna Šabatová left VONS, zdroj: Libri prohibiti

July 3, 1996 The last VONS meeting was held, at which its activity was suspended indefinitely

The notation from the last VONS meeting on March 15, 1992, source: Libri prohibiti

April 27, 1998 Meeting of VONS members at the occasion of the 20th anniversary of its foundation