The Committee for the Defense of the Unjustly Prosecuted ( cs, Výbor na obranu nespravedlivě stíhaných; as a result the acronym VONS is used) was a
Czechoslovak
Czechoslovak may refer to:
*A demonym or adjective pertaining to Czechoslovakia (1918–93)
**First Czechoslovak Republic (1918–38)
**Second Czechoslovak Republic (1938–39)
**Third Czechoslovak Republic (1948–60)
**Fourth Czechoslovak Repub ...
dissident
A dissident is a person who actively challenges an established political or religious system, doctrine, belief, policy, or institution. In a religious context, the word has been used since the 18th century, and in the political sense since the 20th ...
organization founded largely by
Charter 77
Charter 77 (''Charta 77'' in Czech and Slovak) was an informal civic initiative in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic from 1976 to 1992, named after the document Charter 77 from January 1977. Founding members and architects were Jiří Něm ...
signatories. VONS was founded on 27 April 1978.
Founding and political aims
The Committee for the Defense of the Unjustly Prosecuted sought to support dissidents and their families. VONS also wanted to educate the general public about the plight of dissidents. VONS was largely, if not completely, founded by Charter 77 signatories. However, it was largely independent from Charter 77.
Work
The organization also became a member of the
International Federation for Human Rights, under the name Czechoslovak League for Human Rights. VONS also cooperated with human rights organizations such as
Amnesty International and
Helsinki Watch
Helsinki Watch was a private American non-governmental organization established by Robert L. Bernstein in 1978, designed to monitor the former Soviet Union's compliance with the 1975 Helsinki Accords. Expanding in size and scope, Helsinki Watch b ...
. Many of the founders, such as
Václav Havel
Václav Havel (; 5 October 193618 December 2011) was a Czech statesman, author, poet, playwright, and former dissident. Havel served as the last president of Czechoslovakia from 1989 until the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1992 and then ...
, became involved in politics after the 1989
Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution ( cs, Sametová revoluce) or Gentle Revolution ( sk, Nežná revolúcia) was a non-violent transition of power in what was then Czechoslovakia, occurring from 17 November to 28 November 1989. Popular demonstrations agains ...
.
Government's reaction
Shortly after the founding of VONS, Václav Havel and five other representatives of the organizations were arrested and sentenced for two to five years in prison. It can be assumed that like Charter 77 and the plight of various dissidents during the
communist era, VONS was by no means warmly welcomed by the communist government. Many of the members of the Committee were persecuted by
Czechoslovak secret police.
See also
*
Charter 77
Charter 77 (''Charta 77'' in Czech and Slovak) was an informal civic initiative in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic from 1976 to 1992, named after the document Charter 77 from January 1977. Founding members and architects were Jiří Něm ...
References
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*
External links
VONS website
Organizations based in Czechoslovakia
Anti-communist organizations
1978 establishments in Czechoslovakia
Organizations established in 1978
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