Jiří Koblížek

“In April 1982, members of the StB police began visiting schools and talking to all kids from our troop. They interrogated them about our activities. This lasted till the end of June. I was summoned for interrogation on July 1, 1982. When I called them and asked if it were possible to invite me on an earlier date, they obviously refused. I was to report to the police station on July 1, and we were to leave for our camp on July 3. The preparations proceeded normally, but I didn’t know if I would be able to leave for the camp at all. When I came to the police at the designated time, they told me that they were busy and ordered me to come again an hour later. It was a tough hour. When I came there, two policemen picked me up and led me into a long room. One sat down in an armchair by the door, and he didn’t say a single word throughout the interrogation. The other one sat down with this back against the window and ordered me to sit on the right side. I didn’t know who actually did the speaking on my part. I couldn’t recognize myself. When he asked me the first question, I felt relieved and all my nervousness, and all that has accumulated within me during the years, was suddenly gone. I brought all the diplomas with me, which we had won during the Pioneer Trail of Courage contests. There were many of them. In 1979, our troop placed first in all three boys’ categories in the district of Hradec Králové. I wasn’t speaking, actually, it was somebody else who did the speaking. It took about an hour. When I was leaving the room, I asked him if he could tell me how all this actually originated. ´We do not provide information of this kind.´ But what was more important was the sentence which followed. I asked: ´And wouldn’t it have been better if you had interrogated me first, and then the children?´ - ´We have our own methods.´ And that was it.”