Charter 77

Charter 77 was a human rights manifesto initiated in Czechoslovakia in 1977 by a group of dissidents, including writers and intellectuals. It emerged in response to the government's failure to uphold human rights as outlined in international agreements. The charter called for greater freedom of speech, political pluralism, and the protection of human rights. It became a significant movement for political change, helping to unify dissenters and raise awareness of repression. Its most famous signatory, Václav Havel, later became the country's president after the end of communist rule in 1989.