František Lízna

“He spoke so very politely, Václav [Havel - ed.] did. They came and told him he would be immediately released if he asked for pardon. To which he replied that he’d like to discuss it with his wife Olga. They said that was out of the question. So he wanted 24 hours to consider the proposal. That was also out of the question. So he said he’d like to meet with three prisoners, whom he’d name. So he summoned us. They turned to the first one, he was a prisoner who had previously worked at the Ministry of Engineering. He’d opposed Husák’s suggestion that the Škoda Works should open [a branch] in Bratislava. I don’t know what his name was. He said: ‘Vašek, do it, there’s no point in you sitting here.’ I remember that precisely. Then they turned it to me, I was completely aghast, so I said: ‘If it’s possible, let Mr Vitoniský speak first.’ He said: ‘Vašek, don’t do it.’ I had to decide the matter. I said: ‘Václav, I’m completely taken aback by this. You’ve been here a long time. You’re ill, your wife is waiting for you, I don’t have the courage to tell you the one or the other.’ But in the end I added: ‘Václav, you know what, don’t do it. They have to release you. If you sign it and ask for pardon, it’ll seem as if you’d did something.’ He grew serious and said: ‘Then I won’t do it.’”