Member of the anti-communist resistance and opposition recognised by the Ethics Commission - Jaroslav Petrlík

Mr. Jaroslav Petrlík owned the largest farm in the municipality and worked on his lands alone, without the help of other hired workers and was repeatedly penalized for not meeting the supply obligation that was imposed on him. Penalties for not meeting the supply quota stopped in 1974, when based on Government Resolution No. 50/1955 Coll., on Certain Measures for Ensuring Agrarian Production, his whole farm was confiscated and given to the State Farm in Hlinsko. In the ruling of the People’s Court in Hlinsko of 25th June 1958 it is stated that the person in question “does not participate in public life, does not show his political beliefs, but despite that it is obvious that he does not agree with contemporary establishment at all”. Mr. Jaroslav Petrlík was convicted several times and sentenced among others to custodial sentence. His public attitudes and opinions, which he demonstrated within his disapproval with the contemporary situation, and which can be evidenced by available documents, are listed in the minutes from the meetings of Local Authority Councils and in the ruling of the People’s Court in Hlinsko of 25th June 1958, which states that: ”it is obvious from his actions that he does not agree with contemporary establishment at all”.

The Ethics Commission must also state that by his actions in the years from 1948 to 1974 Mr. Jaroslav Petrlík protected his property against collectivization and eventually its actual confiscation. He protected not only his ownership rights or his property, but mainly the institute of ownership rights connected to personal independence on the system, as one of the basic pillars of the democratic law state, which follows from the nature of his actions and the sacrifices he repeatedly made because of it, whereas he did not commit any undemocratic action. The Ethics Commission considers proven that Mr. Jaroslav Petrlík’s repeatedly, resp. continuously stood out against (held a public opinion) against the forced collectivization of the country. This attitude was obviously continuous and long-term and in terms of its length and related sacrifices unique.

The Ethics Commission is convinced that the actions of Mr. Jaroslav Petrlík can be designated as public political and social attitudes held actively of his own free will, which opposed the onset and sustenance of the communist totalitarian regime and further states that his attitudes were of a public nature and in their substance were direct, obvious and provable acts of opposition to communism. The Ethics Commission is of the opinion that he fulfilled the characteristics of the form of anti-communist resistance and opposition according to § 3, par. 4 of the Act No. 262/2011 Coll.