Jiří Hanák (27 February 1938 – 5 June 2020) was a Czech journalist, editor, political activist, and Charter 77 signatory. He was a longtime columnist and writer for various Czech and Czechoslovak newspapers and magazines. He was a recipient of the Ferdinand Peroutka Award in 2005 and the Opus Vitae Award in 2010.[1][2][3]
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Born on 27 February 1938 in Buchlovice, Czechoslovakia, Hanák graduated from the Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague. After graduation, he become the editor of Reporter magazine in 1967.[1][3] However, he was fired from the publication in 1969 following the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia.[1] He was banned from working in journalism and forced to work menial jobs during the Normalization period in the 1970s and 1980s.[1]
Jiří Hanák became an early signatory of Charter 77 civic initiative in 1977.[1][2] In 1988, Hanak began writing for the samizdat newspaper, Lidové noviny.[1] He remained with the Lidové noviny following the Velvet Revolution and the newspaper's legalization.[1][2][3]
Hanák helped found and launch the Czech magazine, Týden, in 1994.[1] He also served as editor-in-chief of the now defunct Svobodné slovo newspaper and a commentator and columnist in Právo.[1] In 2016, Jiří Hanák returned to work at Lidové noviny.[1]
Jiří Hanák died in his sleep on 5 June 2020, at the age of 82, following a short illness.[1][2][3]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Kenety, Brian (June 5, 2020). "Award-winning journalist, Charter 77 signatory Jiří Hanák dies". Radio Prague International. Archived from the original on June 23, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
- ^ a b c d "Ve věku 82 let zemřel novinář a signatář Charty 77 Jiří Hanák". ČT24. June 5, 2020. Archived from the original on June 20, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
- ^ a b c d "Ve věku 82 let zemřel Jiří Hanák, novinář a komentátor Lidových novin". Lidové noviny. June 6, 2020. Archived from the original on June 20, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2020.