Czech President Václav Havel passed away

Former Czech and Czechoslovakia president Václav Havel died at 75 at his country home in Hradeček, north of Prague. Václav Havel’s last public appearance was on December 10, 2011 when he met with his close friend Dalai Lama and signed an appeal in support of dissidents around the world. Václav Havel first came to international fame as a dissident playwright in the 1970s through his involvement with the human rights manifesto Charter 77. He was prosecuted for his stances and spent almost five years in prison; his prison stay contributed to his later health problems. He became the first post-communist Czechoslovak president in late 1989. In 1993–2003 he was the first president of the independent Czech Republic. The Czech cabinet is to meet for a special session on Monday to consider a date of a National Day of Mourning.