Prisoners of conscience

More than and sentenced to years in prison in 1948-1989, during hegemony of the communist regime in Slovak part of former Czechoslovakia. 120 innocent people had been tortured and put to death for their belief and desire for freedom. These horrible statistics and tragic destinies of the prisoners of conscience are commemorated every year by the Confederation of political prisoners by the walls of the prison in Leopoldov – a place that had witnessed so much of unjust suffering. This year’s memorial act took place in presence of many representatives of the Catholic church, political and social life of the country, and was associated with an extraordinary act of solidarity with prisoners of conscience of the present times. Danka Jaceckova, correspondent of SIR Europe from Bratislava for the countries of East Europe, has met the president of the Forum of Christian Institutions (FCI) in Slovakia, Frantisek Neupauer.Among the prisoners of conscience in Leopoldov’s prison were also redemptorist Metod Dominik Trcka and bishop Pavol Peter Gojdic – both beatified by John Paul II. Could you tell us briefly about their life?“They suffered a lot for their faith. Trcka was found guilty of espionage and serious offence against the state and was sentenced to 12 years in prison by the communist regime. Despite of horrible conditions his faith remained strong until the end. On Christmas he was singing a carol. As a punishment he was immediately transferred to so called „correction” unit. He had badly damaged health, worsened by severe conditions of imprisonment, and he died in march 1959. Greek Catholic bishop Gojdiè got a life sentence in a framed process on the base of false accusations of treason. He died at the age of 72, as a result of torture and barbarous treatment”. Who are the prisoners of conscience of the past and the present times?“Former political prisoners in Czechoslovakia didn’t get to prison for robbery, murder and often not even for any kind of unacceptable deed or behaviour. On the contrary, it happened often because they were committing good things – wanting freedom of belief, longing for plurality, freedom. Totalitarian systems in the past and today try to gain an absolute control over the society and it results in arresting of these „prisoners of conscience”. There, in their attitudes, suffering, martyrdom, has always been the source of freedom – yesterday as well as today.As an act of solidarity, FCI initiated writing a letter to two prisoners of conscience: Andrei Sanikov, candidate at the 2010 presidential election in Belarus and sentenced in Minsk to five years’ imprisonment on charges of organizing mass disturbances. And Joseph Junqi in Guangzhou, China, the bishop in communion with the Holy See disappeared from July 2011. What was the reason?“We have been through period of totalitarianism in Slovakia. Some of the witnesses of the terror and suffering are still alive, those who survived unjust persecution, sentencing, imprisonement – all this with large impact on their whole families. They keep coming to the walls of the prison in Leopoldov to commemorate the victims. As a participant of these acts I felt this important aspect of suffering, gratefulness for freedom, but I missed some sign of solidarity with those who still suffer this way all around the world. Therefore I suggested to express our closeness and support to a concrete prisoner of conscience – in this case to two of them”.What is the message of both letters?“Here, at the gates of the prison in Leopoldov, where our fathers had suffered, we think of you and keep you in our hearts. You are not alone”.What other initiatives does FCI? “We traditionally organize commemoration of 25 March 1988 – an event known as Bratislava’s Good Friday – the day when state power in a communist Czechoslovakia brutally intervened against participants of a peaceful prayer meeting. Last year on 13 April we celebrated the Day of unjustly persecuted as a commemoration of forced liquidation of religious orders in 1950. This year we enriched this event by an act of solidarity with persecuted Christians and we have exhorted highest political representatives of our country to declare clearly their attitude and appeal to end this ongoing persecution in the world. Last year we came up with an idea to establish a Museum of the crimes of communism, as we are the only post-communist state that doesn’t have such institution. After discussing the matter with the Prime minister of Slovak republic, Iveta Radicova, on the meeting held this week (6 September) in Bratislava, we hope this project will succeed”.