Vaclav Havel, 1936-2011 

HRF in Mourning for its Departed Chairman—"Truth and love must prevail over lies and hate"

PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC (December 18 , 2011) — The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) joins the millions upon millions who note with great sadness the passing this morning of Václav Havel, the Czech leader, playwright, poet, former political prisoner, and human rights activist. Havel, 75, was chairman of HRF’s Board of Directors and International Council.

“Havel was an intellectual giant, the moral force behind the movement to liberate his country and one of history’s most powerful opponents of totalitarianism. HRF was privileged and honored that he accepted the position of chairman of our board, both endorsing our vision and richly contributing to the substance of our work,” said HRF president Thor Halvorssen. “We lament his absence, but remember that by inspiring so many, he left an indelible mark on human progress.”

A prolific writer and leading revolutionary figure, Havel’s life-long maxim was “truth and love must prevail over lies and hate.” In his youth, he studied drama and wrote some of his most famous works that satirized the communist system, including the play The Memorandum. After the Prague Spring in 1968, his plays were banned in Czechoslovakia, but were still circulated in samizdat form. They were also widely known outside of his country, bringing worldwide attention to the plight of Czech citizens under Soviet domination.

After the censorship of his work and the suppression of the Prague Spring by Warsaw Pact forces, Havel continued to write, throwing himself into activism. He penned numerous essays and became one of the architects of the Charter 77 human rights movement. Despite repeated arrests, multiple prison sentences, and government harassment and surveillance, he persisted in his reform efforts and helped spearhead the Velvet Revolution of 1989, the non-violent overthrow of Czechoslovakia’s communist leadership.

Despite his insistence that he was not interested in politics, Havel was chosen as the first democratically-elected president of Czechoslovakia; after its dissolution, he was elected as the first president to lead the newly-formed Czech Republic.

Havel ended his second presidency in 2003, but remained an active proponent of human rights. He founded Forum 2000, an annual conference that seeks to advance democracy and civil society through a global dialogue. He was awarded numerous prizes for his tremendous accomplishments in promoting human rights worldwide, including the International Gandhi Peace Prize, the Ambassador of Conscience Award, the US Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Order of Canada. He also served as a member of the international advisory council for the Victims of Communism Memorial, and addressed the inaugural Oslo Freedom Forum in 2009.

Havel is survived by his wife of 14 years, Dagmar Veškrnová; his stepdaughter, Nina Novakova; and his brother Ivan.

Contact: Human Rights Foundation, (212) 246.8486, info@thehrf.org