On January 15, 1998, 43 year old Professor of Mathematics, Mr. Pavel Filip, committed suicide in Bochum. The reason for this suicide was the fact that Professor Filip's father, a well known dissident Czech writer, was accused in the Czech Republic of being an informer of the Communist Secret Police StB. It is a well known fact that the Czech so-called "Lustrace Law" which allegedly is supposed to keep former Communists and informers of Secret Police out of more important positions in the State and politics, is actually based on a forgery prepared by the Communist Secret Police well in advance.
The Secret Police prepared a forged list of approximately 150,000 names of individuals whom they allege that they were cooperating with the Communist Secret Police. Among the names on this list was the late Josef Cardinal Tomásek, the famous writer Bohumil Hrabal and many other leading representatives of Czech cultural and scientific life. Actually, in a category of "candidate for cooperation" with the Secret Police, is also the name of President Vaclav Havel. Initially, even this class of alleged informers was included in the group of those who are ineligible for public office. The law was later modified.
The more than dubious list of alleged informers of the Secret Police was fully accepted by Czech political and societal circles as a truthful one and led to a witch-hunt on people who are not only entirely innocent, but usually were on the receiving end of Communist terror. This was the case also with the writer Ota Filip, whose son has now committed suicide.
About two years ago, President of the Czech Republic stated that the irresponsible publication of a highly dubious list of alleged informers of the Czech Secret Police led to many human tragedies. He was charged for this statement by Mr. Cibulka, one of the main perpetrators and promoters of this list. Mr. Cibulka denied that any hardship was caused by his and his accomplices action. We wonder whether he may have some comments concerning this recent tragic event.
Jan Nemec.
Etobicoke, January 18, 1998.