Charter 77 signatory Jan Patočka dies at 80

Jan Patočka, journalist, political commentator and son of philosopher Jan Patočka, died on Friday, 21 November, at the age of 80, Václav Havel Library announced on its web page.

Like his father—who died in 1977 after brutal interrogations by the communist secret service —he was involved in the intellectual and civic resistance against the totalitarian regime in Czechoslovakia. He became one of the notable signatories of Charter 77.

Because of his outspoken criticism of the communist government and his involvement in the dissident movement, he was forced to take a series of manual jobs. After the Velvet Revolution in 1989, Patočka turned fully to journalism, becoming a respected voice on the Czech media scene. From 1991 to 1992, he served as editor-in-chief of Český deník.