Czechs to Dismantle Fences on Austria Front; Dissenters Freed
The Communist government said today it will tear down the fences on its border with Austria, and members of Parliament proposed the repeal of tough laws used to imprison and fine dissenters.
Government spokesman Marcel Jansen said the Interior Ministry was told to begin the “removal of technical equipment” on the frontier with neutral Austria, which bristles with barbed wire strung between concrete pylons.
He did not say whether similar action would be taken on the long, fortified border with West Germany.
Jansen would not say precisely when or where dismantling of border fortifications would begin, but said the most likely spot was near Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, about an hour’s drive east of Vienna.
The official news agency CTK said six political prisoners were released and President Gustav Husak granted amnesty to Stanislav Devaty, a former spokesman for the Charter 77 human rights group who went underground weeks ago, and another activist.
CTK said members of Parliament had suggested repeal of the “public order” laws used to impose stiff fines or jail terms on anti-government protesters.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
