Czechs commemorate Communist coup of 1948

Several events are taking place across the Czech Republic on Monday to mark the 60th anniversary of the Communist coup of 1948. President Václav Klaus and the head of the Association of Political Prisoners Naděžda Kavalírová are due to attend a gathering at Prague Castle on Monday evening. A memorial event has been held at the Czech Senate, while an academic conference on the subject is being opened by the Czech prime minister, Mirek Topolánek. On February 25 1948 the Communists seized power in post-war Czechoslovakia in a bloodless coup. In the period of Communist rule from 1948 to 1989, over 262,000 political prisoners were jailed or sent to labour camps, where thousands perished. A further 241 people were executed, having been found guilty of performing ‘anti-communist acts’.