Jozef Krajňák

“It was a horrible era and I used precisely the following words in my speech: “This is era that persecutes the truth and promotes lies; era that destroys the best sons of nation, people whose desire is to work for material and intellectual welfare. It forcibly disrupts them from our ranks. It tortures and drags them from prison to prison until after many years there are only lifeless bodies left to live on.” This was the main part I said. Besides this, I pilloried the regime also in other ways, but these were the words which, as they were said publicly aloud, were considered a criminal offence during their regime. My only luck at that funeral was that the public address system was off. If it was broadcasted to the whole village, I would have been sentenced up to nine years of imprisonment.”

“My family, my wife came to visit me once to the Northern Bohemia, to Belušice. She received permission and so she traveled whole night from Hrabušice. Our children stayed with her mom. Though, she was allowed to spend with me only half an hour. We could talk together, but the State Security member had to be present there all the time; we couldn´t talk about anything else, except the family matters. The issue of how we were treated there was a taboo; we could not speak about that.”

“I was really afraid that during the investigation I would have to reveal the names of people from Kežmarok who gave me things that the State Security found during the home inspection. This way I would have caused serious problems to these people. However, Lord God arranged it the way that they asked me nothing about those people. And till now I am thankful to God for this, because it was my greatest concern whether I would be forced to say something bad about someone. Luckily, it never happened. Thanks God.”

“We had four children at the time when I was arrested for delivering the speech over the grave of Bishop Vojtaššák in Zákamenné. My family put up with it with many difficulties, because there was only one more day until I would receive the family allowance. After my arrest, my wife received only twenty crowns and no one from the government was concerned to help, to care about how the family would survive. Thanks God, there were some good people around who helped her overcome this greatest crisis.”

“After seventy days they brought me to the trial in Dolný Kubín. There were two or three State Security members escorting me; they gave me handcuffs because the way through Ružomberok is quite long. We traveled about an hour and a half or so. At the Regional Court in Dolný Kubín several people expected me to come. They probably knew I was about to be tried for this kind of offense, but they didn´t get into the courtroom. A young judge led the trial and his first question was whether I felt guilty or not. I answered: “According to my conscience I feel innocent, however, according to your principles, yes, I do feel guilty.” Well, he didn´t like that. He harshly expressed his opinion and after the trial I was taken back to Banská Bystrica. Few weeks later they transported me to Belušice in Bohemia.”