Jarmila Johnová

“Us two – me and my dad – signed Charter 77. That was quite interesting. I told Jirka Dienstbier that I thought it was risky, not knowing what the response would be. His feeling was that the 50s were over and that it wouldn’t be so terrible. I expected the worst, that they’d arrest us instantly. Being pregnant, I was very happy I just rushed to the hospital at the moment when Charter was being handed over. When Kristina was born, horrible news were aired on the radio about ‘renegades and turncoats’ who signed an abusive pamphlet. So I was worried. It was touching that Zuzana Dienstbierová came under my window because Dienstbier was detained, and shouted that Kristina’s father wouldn’t be able to come. Then came my mum and shouted that my father was in the Ruzyně prison and that I was supposed to keep shut. That was a good advice. The secret police didn’t come for me to the hospital but as soon as I came home they took advantage of nobody else being around. I was well informed and followed the advice not to say anything ever because it wouldn’t help me anyway.”

“I signed it because I wanted to express my stance. I didn’t want to lie. Well, rather, I was lazy to lie. It seemed too complicated. I found it much easier, more sensible and nicer to tell everyone: ‘This is the way I see it and count me out.’ At work in the preservation office I encountered some situations. For instance they began organizing a visit of young ladies to the Russian soldiers’ barracks in Mladá Boleslav. I told them I wouldn’t go. They were like: ‘what do you mean, why won’t you go?!’ I replied: ‘Well, I won’t. Why should I?’ To keep explaining all the time was complicated. So I got rid of it this way. When I signed the Charter everyone knew it because the secret police had it all covered. So it was liberating in a way.”