Government Office: We Must Protect Democracy and Freedom of Speech

Bratislava, 21 August (TASR) - Democracy, human rights and freedoms, and freedom of speech and expression are among the values that we must protect, the Government Office stated on Thursday on the occasion of the 57th anniversary of the military invasion of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact troops. "The events of August 1968 have become one of the most significant milestones in our modern history. The occupation marked the suppression of hopes for a freer society and brought more than two decades of foreign troops on our territory," the office posted on a social network on Thursday. The Government Office also noted that more than half a million soldiers, thousands of tanks and aircraft entered Czechoslovakia during the invasion, pointing to the casualties and the wounded. "A period of so-called normalisation followed, which brought a return to strict control of society, the restoration of censorship and the emigration of tens of thousands of people. The occupation of Czechoslovakia had serious consequences not only for internal political developments, but also for the country's international position, which was marked by a loss of confidence and sovereignty," it added. am/df