President Pavel hands out high state distinctions to 56 personalities

At a ceremony marking Czechoslovak Independence Day on October 28, President Pavel handed out awards and high state distinctions to 56 people for outstanding services to the state. Among those honoured in memoriam were Pope John Paul II, who helped to bring down the communist regime in Central and Eastern Europe, Army General and Legionnaire Sergej Jan Ingr, who was Minister of National Defence in the London government-in-exile and also Ambassador to the Netherlands, and František Moravec, Brigadier General and Legionnaire, Commander of Military Intelligence during World War II and member of the exiled military resistance. Awards also went to London-based architect Eva Jiřičná, choreographer Jiří Kylián, Charter 77 signatory and former Ombudswoman Anna Šabatová, canoeist Martin Doktor and water slalom champion Štěpánka Hilgertová.