Zdeněk Jelínek

“About a year before the revolution the Movement for Civic Freedom was created. I helped organize events so the people could meet up. We knew the State Security was after us so I would drive around with my car to invite people, without paper invitations or phone calls – because of wiretaps. So I took their addresses and drove to the signatories all around the northern Bohemia region. But they still found out. So there was a State Security agent acting as a mole among the people. The meeting point was in Úštěk and the police was already waiting for us at the train station with vans.”

“In the morning, when I woke up, I saw a police car in front of the panel building. I thought to myself – that's obvious, they're waiting for me. So I told my wife to tell them I wasn't home when she left for work. I knew they outsmarted me. I couldn't escape from either side because one car was standing in front of the main entrance and one in front of the back entrance. My wife left for work, meanwhile they quickly got a home search warrant somehow. And suddenly – keys in the keyhole, and cops. I was sitting in my armchair and smoking a cigarette. So this State Security stormed in. “Get up, man!” I told him: “What the heck are you doing here? You're on a private property, this is my private apartment, what do you think you're doing here?” “Shut up!” And he slapped me so hard my cigarette flew out of my mouth. They threw me on the kitchen counter, cuffed me, tied me up, and there I was being driven away.”